Out and about....

Yesterday afernoon at about 4pm I restrained my huge boobs and managed to get out the door after finishing feeding charlie. She has been a little unsettled this past few days so Dad put her in the pram and walked with me and then watched me do my 2km run around the soccor fields. It felt easier today and I managed to run a little quicker without realising. I stopped at the 2km mark....still feels like enough at the moment. I might start running around Old park near home....it is a 1.2km loop and has a few little hills to make it interesting and a lot more people around.

Chalrlie just cruised along with Dad in the pram and enjoyed the outdoors. I think Clairie mentioned that exercse causes extra breast milk.....which I discovered for my self when I got home :-) It was really quite warm outside, but there is nothing like having to fit things in around feeds to get you dressed and out the door without so much as a complaint of the warmth!

Charlie was quite unsettled yesterday and I battled to get her to have sleep during the day....she then crashed and slept for a long time which was lovely.....except she then got up every 2 hours to feed through the night! Groan....I was a bit of a zombie this morning! Again after her 5am feed she was not wanting to go back to sleep, so instead of trying to get her off and failing I just put her in the pram and went for a walk....we were up any way and no one was going back to bed! Dad went for his run and us two girls cruised the neighbourhood. It was much nicer than listening to her cry as we tried unsuccessfully to settle her down like yesterday!!
If this is going to be the pattern I will just get up and go for a walk at this time and make use of morning....at least it was cooler! I found the crying stressful yesterday....not the noise, rather not knowing what was wrong or what to do to make her feel better. My wonderful sister reassured me that she was ok and that this was just what they do! I also spoke to a baby nurse who reassured me that from about 3 weeks they get quite unsettled as they are trying to get used to being out in the world. She said to just comfort her and that she will be less and less unsettled as time progresses. As a mum you feel like you should automatically know what to do and how to make your baby feel better....but they are there own little person and can not explain what is happening- she might have been just having a bad hair day!

The days are ticking by and she will be 4 weeks soon! I will upload some more pictures and post some more soon. She is growing each day and starting to get some little fat rolls around her arms and legs....so cute!!!!

3 weeks old....

Well I am pleased to report that Ray and I have survived the first three weeks!! We are getting used to being new parents but still feel like the worked has been tipped upside down!! Charlie has been such a good baby this first few weeks and has just eaten and slept the whole time. She is starting to wake up this past few days and is much more interactive and making a lot more noise. Ray goes back to work in one more week and I am going to miss him so much! I have loved spending so much tome together in these early days getting to know bub and finding our feet. He has been a brilliant support! We are up most nights every 3 hrs but touch wood she seems to go back to sleep without too much drama. We have had a few mornings where she has been awake since 4am and will not settle again, but I am assuming this is all part of the fun :-) I am amazed at how you just keep going despite any consistant sleep.

I can not wait for Charlie to start smiling and recognising us a bit more. You can tell she knows our voices but it will be so exciting to watch her little personality emerge.

We had a lovely Christmas with the family...they have all been so supportive and wonderful! I also love that they are so smitten with her....she will be well loved and looked after as she grows.

I am looking forward to 2008....I love a new year. It always feels like a new start. We had such a wonderful 2007 and I am hoping for more of the same!

I have been doing a fair bit of walking with Charlie and letting my body rest. BUT I will admit to going for my first two runs this week. My body was feeling really good and I was needing to feel a little normal so I decided to go for a 1km walk 2km run and a 1km walk to cool down. It felt fantastic! It was very slow and I made sure I ran on grass and kept it very slow. I then had a few days rest and did it again yesterday. It will be a long slow road back to pre pregnancy fitness, but I am in no hurry and am happy to be just out and about doing somthing. I need to take it very slowly as my abs are much weaker than they were previously and I do no want to hurt myself! I am pleased to report that the pelvic floor held up perfectly :-) Phew!! So hopefully inbetween feeds and changing nappies I can fit a few more in. My plan is to keep it at 2km until it feels easy and comfortable.

The big bang......

Well after seeing Dr Opperman on the Monday and being told to expect the baby to be late and aim at the 17th December we went into labour the next day and gave birth to a perfect little girl Charlie Ann Rowell. She was born on the 5th of December at 1:53pm and weighed 7pounds and 12 ounces or about 3.5kg and was 50 cms long.

On the Tuesday I woke up feeling not quite right and a bit uncomfortable. We decided to go to the movies to see Elizabeth and make the most of the time we had together alone. The movie was great but I was feeling more and more achy and uncomfortable. I spoke with my sister and she said it sounded like I was in early labour. I laughed and said No way, the doctor said bub would be late. We went to Trivia with Bernie and by 8pm I was starting to not just feel uncomfortable but I was getting painful cramps. I was now starting to think that this may have been early contractions, but my waters had not broken and I was still thinking that baby was going to be late. The baby was not even engaged yet!!! When we got home I noted the time between each "cramp" and they were about 12 mins apart. I decided to go to bed and just see what happens. I woke at 1am and was in a lot more pain and they were about 5mins apart. I called the hospital and I must have sounded very confused...I said " I am not sure if I am in labour, my waters have not broken yet but I have some pain about 5 mins apart". She told me to take a panadol and see how I go. I was convinced I was imagining the whole thing and how embarrassing would it be to turn up to hospital if it was nothing! So I went back to bed and managed to fall asleep and awoke at 3:30 am with a lot more pain and they were about 3 mins apart. I was still dithering about what to do....I did not want to panic Ray if this was not labout but it was starting to really hurt. Ray then appeared from the bed room and asked why I was out of bed....."I think I am in labour!". So he called the hospital and they said to come in. I was still not convinced and asked Ray not to call any one until the nurse confirmed that it was labour. When we arrived they told me I was 3 cm dialated and that it was not uncommon for my waters to have not broken.....I wish I had known that!

Well I will not go into gory details, lets just say we were there from 6am and bub was born at 1:53pm. The contractions were the most intense pain I have ever experienced!!! I wanted to have a natural birth.....mainly I did not like the idea of needles in my spine and other medications make me sick. So I thought I would try and manage on my own. I had read a great book about using different skills to manage the pain- which was brilliant. I used the shower and stomped around the room when the pain was bad. But in the end it was using a mantra that got me through. I just picked a light fitting to stare at and repeated over and over " cerivx open" and " I am ok" when I had a contraction. Now I was prepared for the pain, but not the nausea and prjectile vommiting! The nores said that as the pain gets really intense at 8-10cms it is not uncommon to vommit. Well lets just say it was a scene from the exocist! Poor Ray....I am not sure he knew what to do! He was fantastic and just kept telling me I was doing really well and I was ok....I had asked him not to say too much to me as I needed to concentrate to block the pain. My mum and sister also were brilliant...taking turns in supporting Ray and rubbing my back.

The actual pushing part was only about 45mins and I felt so relieved that I was finally oushing and doing something practical. I then decided that I had been up all night and day and felt too tired.... "find another way" I announced! My ob was brilliant and being a fellow runner and having done 6ft he was great! He told me that I had crossed the cox's river and now just had to get up Pluvi. hahaha I told him that this shitted all over 6ft track, but it gave me a boost and two more contractions little Charlies head was out and the doctore got Ray to catch her as she popped out and hander her too me!

I can not describe how amazing the whole experience was! It was exhausting and the most painful thing I have been through BUT also the most spectacular thing I have ever done! I know it sounds corny but wow I felt so strong and euphoric! As soon as she popped out I had a rush of adrenelin or something and I felt on top of the world. Ray and I were both blubbering and staring at this little person we had created!!!

So this is day 10 and I am still spinning! The last 10 days has been such a rollercoaster! I am in awe of this little person and can not believe you can waste so much time staring at her. Ray and I are slowlu getting more confident with things. It is also incredibly overwhelming how dependent this little person is on you and the responsibilty is scary!

We have been out for a few walks and headed to the shops. It now takes twice as long to get things done and we are on a new time schedule. I have found the complete lack of structure and little daunting but I am amazed at how relaxed I feel. I just remind myself that this is how it will be for the next little while and we will eventually feel more confident and in a routine. Thankfully she is a really realaxed baby and is not crying all the time so we are not pulling our hair out yet!

The body has recovered really well. I am back into a lot of my pre baby clothes and am only a kg heavier than my pre pregnant weight. but I still feel tired and a 40min walk is more than enough for me at this stage! I can not imagine running yet, but I am not in a hurry..... I have waited this long, a few more weeks will not kill me! Hahaha I also am not sure how I will manage to get out of the door! I am sure it will be a few more weeks before I get game and try a run. So that will be my new year goal :-) At the moment I am just doing my ab exercises and pelvic floor stuff, short walks. I will slowly add in other exercises that I was doing before bub was born.

So I will aim to update the blog when I can, but I am still getting used to the logistics and juggling act!

Here are some photos of our little munchkin!!!!

Are we there yet??

With 6 days to go until our due date I am starting to feel a little impatient. It is amazing how patient you can be for 39 weeks and then as the big day gets really close I feel like I can't wait any longer!! I have a feeling that I am about to get a lesson in patience. We saw Dr Opperman this morning and he is of the view that our little one will not be making an entrance this weekend and is more likely to be the following weekend. The baby has not made any moves to engaging fully and there is no indication that he/she is in any hurry. It obviously take after Raymond is very relaxed and laid back....which is a good thing :-) I am feeling really good, just big and round and uncomfortable.....but not really anything unexpected at almost 9 months pregnant. I am still going for walks most days and getting to the gym 4 or 5 times a week. The exercise is helping to keep me sane....I think I would feel like such a lump otherwise. So I am very thankful and lucky that my body is holding up and not giving me any grief. Ray is on holidays now for a month so the plan for the next week and a bit is to enjoy some time together before baby arrives and turns things upside down! I think we might head to the movies tommorow.
So watch this space :-)

Humpty Dumpty.....

tummy at 38 weeks....oh and 12 weeks to compare!!!




38 down and two to go! I finally got around to updating my tummy shots and OMG! I know it feels big, but it also looks like a weird big egg! I have started to notice little balls on my clothing where I am obviously unconsciously rubbing my tummy! It feels different this last few days....I am hoping when I see the doctor tommorow he tells me bub has engaged.

It was my neice's 2nd birthday yesterday and I can not believe that time has gone so quickly!!! It only seems like yesterday that we got off the plane from Japan to get the phone call that Bec was in labour! So much seems to have happened in two years. We had a great time with the family and of course my favourite stalker :-) So as promised an updae!!!

We met Kerry, Bernie and Wayne this morning at Lady Carrington Drive and they went for a run and me a walk. It was so lovely in the national park....it smelt so good after a bit of rain. I find it so relaxing to walk along in the bush thinking and day dreaming! This morning I was day dreaming about the baby, but there were so many fit runners out and about I could not help but daydream about going for a run. I kept wondering if they actually appreciate how good it feels to go for a run- probably not, I will have a whole new level of enjoyment when I get back into things and can effortlessly move about with out feeling like someone misplaced their bowling ball in my pelvis :-)

So fingers crossed for some movement at the station over the next two weeks!!!

Getting closer.....

With two and a half weeks to go until our due date, things are getting very exciting!!! I finsihed work a week and a half ago and I am loving the time off. I have not done a lot except potter around the house, clean and organise and snooze on the lounge. I have had lots of advice from lots of people on almost evry topic you could think of....one thing almost evryone said was to make use of the time off before bub arrives to relax and unwind. It is such a nice feeling to not do a lot and not feel guilty about it!

We had a great morning with friends and family that my lovely sister organised...we had lots of yummy food and lots of catching up. We are both so grateful for the support from all our family and friends. It took me a few days to comprehend that I had actually finshed work for hopefully 12 months and that this was all actually happening. But I seem to have taken to not working like a duck to water! I am feeeling so big and huge I am glad I am not having to drag myself to work and I can bum around in whaterver feels comfortable. I see the doctor on Monday and he will tell me if bub has engaged yet or if it is still comfortably nestled in for a longer stay.

Apart from not sleeping well, I feel really good. I can not really complain about much. I feel full most of the time and get indegestion if I eat too much, but I think that is what happens to every one! I am hating that time between 1am and 4am when the baby seems to go nuts and I lie there unable to get back to sleep....but an added bonus of not working the next day is having a sleep in or nap to make up for it! I am trying to walk most days and am getting to the gym through the week. It seems to give me more energy and the air conditioning is so nice!!! I will just keep my activity up until I feel too tired. At the moment I feel good.

I am finding that playing the violin is getting awkward as my tummy gets in the way of my bow arm. My teacher commented I was bowing in an odd way, which she soon understood when I pointed out my tummy makes it near impossible to bow straight! Pretty funny1

I will post some photos in the next few days....I have been too lazy to get Ray to do it for me. But I need it down so that when this all feels like a blur I will have proof of how big and round my tummy is!

So fingers crossed, all going well, Ray and I will be parents in about 18 days....give or take! Bring it on!!!!

5 to go......

Well it is hard to believe that I have only 4 days of work to go!!! It can not come quickly enough for me!!! The last 8 weeks have been such a struggle and a few times I had no idea how I would last without haveing to resort to taking some leave! I know that once bub arrives I will be so glad I saved all my leave to give me as much time at home as possible, but I have really found it a hard slog! Thankfully my lovely husband, family and frinedns have managed somehow to keep me sane! Ray has been so wonderful throughout the whole thing. He has always been right there cheering me on when I need it and has kept his sense of humor!

We did our birth classes over the last two weeks and I loved it! I can say that I was PETRIFIED of the idea of labour and had started to feel anxious about the whole thing. I have been doing some reading but the mid wife we had was fantastic and really realistic and down to earth. She explained the whole process and what our bodies will do in a way that was easy to understand and not too scary! She also laid it on the line that it would hurt and there was no way around that but is was a healthy pain and this is what we were born to do. She explained how our bodies are designed and made to do this and that it will be one of the most intense experiences of our life but we would all be fine. Then we watched the videos of a few births and I have to say that they did not freak me out, rather the complete opposite! I was amazed and awe struck by the whole thing! I finished the two weeks feeling really excited and instead of feeling scared I am feeling confident and ready to do this! Don't get me wrong I am still feeling nervous about the pain and how I will react but just like a marathon I have done the training and am ready....bring it on!!

We also got to wash a little buba and learnt heaps of practical stuff, so it is not feeling too scary! Ray and I are also lucky to have watched my sister and Alex and to have had some good friends have babies over the last 18months.....they are all great mums and wonderful to watch!

I am feeling HUGE!!!! My tummy has really grown heaps in the past 3 weeks. It is getting harder to move about....and there is certainly no grace or style! I have resorted to grunting when I put my shoes on....such a lady! I can feel which side buba is lying and where its back and legs/feet are. Ray plays with it....giving a little poke and tickes and it moves around! I am still walking to and from work most days....but accept a lift on the days I feel really pooped! I have kept the gym up and am now focusing on my pelvic floor stuff and my upper body and legs. I am slowing down now when I walk which is understandable given the size of my tummy. I really feel so much better when I walk or go to the gym so I am going to try and keepit going while I feel comfortable! Hahaha now that I will be a lady of leisure once I finsish work I will be able to fit in some feet up time and a few nana naps!!

I am finding I am not eating a huge amount as I feel full all the time and get heart burn if I eat too much. It is quite weird feeling like you have pigged out knowing you only manged to squeeze in half a sandwitch! I guess this is why a lot of woman say you do not put too much weight on in the final weeks. So far I have gained 9kgs....so I am really happy, as most of that is baby. I have not had any weird cravings, although the girls at work told me it is not normal to want to eat really mushy brussel spouts on a roll for lunch :-)

So apart from some heart burn, leg cramps there is not much else to whinge about! I feel very luck to have felt so good throughout and touch wood it continues for the next little bit!

I will update the photos next week and the final countdown begins :-)

" Hay Hay"

As promised Haley Ellen.....an update! I had a fantastic weekend....watching Ray run his first marathon! He has only been running just over 12 months and he has taken to it like a duck to water. Yesterday he ran his first mararthon at Fitzroy Falls. It was on off road marathon, so not the easiest choice for your first, but a great one! I think I was more nervous than he was!! Once the gun went off I just felt in a constant state of butterflies hoping all would go well! I did the 5km walk along a part of the trail and got some pram practice in...pushing Jasper who is 6 months old in the pram. It was pretty tough going, especially up the hills but such a beautiful day and scenary. I could not help getting competitive and starting picking poeple up in front to reel in and pass. I was pretty happy that we did not come last and did the 5km in just over 5omins. Then we settled in at the 41.5km mark to wait for Ray, Deanne and Bernie to finish. I will let Ray blog about his race but he finished in fine style.....zooming past us not looking like he had struggled with the cramp bear not less than 10 mins earlier! I was so proud of him and his effort! If he can achieve this in 12 months I can't wait to watch and cheer the next 12 months.

I was so envious of the runners in the marathon yesterday!!! I have such an urge to run....I can not wait to just get our there again! Today we are 32 weeks, so not too long to go now! I am really excited and have started to buy little bits and peices for the baby. I feel like my belly might explode any moment....yes I know that it will only get bigger form here! Buba is super active and wriggles constantly. Lst week my stomach morphed into this weird pointy shape as it was stretching some part of its little body.....Ray could not believe his eyes!!! I am starting to dya dream about what buba will look like and wether it is a boy or a girl! It is like the ultimate present!! Apart from some calf cramps at night and feeling constantly full I feel really great!! I am walking to and from work still, but it is taking a little longer this past week. I only have 4 weeks of work to go and I hope to be able to walk until I finish. I am sooooooo looking forward to not working and having a few weeks of quiet and relaxation before the big arrival.

We have our birth classes in a few weeks....scary! That should make it all very real!! Any natural remedies for constipation will also be welcomed....sorry I know that is a little too much information!!!!

So 8 weeks to go! Bring it on :-)

Update....

Yesterday we reached the 30 week mark. So we now have less than 10 weeks to go until blast off! To be into the 30's is a little scary, but also very exciting. 10 weeks seems like an eternity but also feels like it will be hear in a blink of an eye! We had another check up with the doctor last week and we got the all clear with my blood tests and diabetes screen. He said that it was all prgressing "beautifully" and that he was not expecting any dramas in the last little bit! He did mention again that baby was a few cm's ahead in growth.....meaning it may come a week early or we are growing a monster baby! Now with all the stuff in the news about the 7.5kg baby in Russia I am hoping for a week early! I have only 6 weeks left of work and I am hanging out to finish!!! I am trying to set little time goals in between to look forward to so I stop focusing on the 6 weeks. So the next little goal is Ray's first marathon at Fitzroy Fall in two weeks. I will be so excited to see him complete his first marathon....who would have thought!!! It is great being able to share it together and I am looking forward to being able to get back into running post baby. I am just starting to really get the urge to run again. This last few weeks when I have been walking I have really had the urge to run....not just waddle like I have attempted but to feel fit and move easiy and enjoy the sensation of running jut for the sake of it. I really think my perspective will be different post baby! Well at least for a short while ;-) I am going to just enjoy getting out for a 5km run!! We will have to just wait and see....it is all a bit unknown and I have no idea how I will manage it all- but I have some good role models.

The last two weeks have been pretty usual... I am still walking to and from work and getting to the gym 3or 4 times a week. I have noticed that I am finding some things a little harder like tying up my shoes and I keep trying to just sit up in bed which is near impossible with my tummy in the way. My tummy is getting bigger almost every day. I love the look and feel of it and I can feel bub doing acrobatics almost all day and night. There are few times in the day it is quiet but it mostly wriggles and kicks away. So far I have put on 7.8kg at the 30 weeks mark and other mum's have commented I look "compact" which I take as a compliment, but I am starting to feel like the side of a house!! I am a littl scared at how big my stomach will potentially grow! There are still 10 weeks of expanding to go....gulp! Haha I may end up looking like the gorl out of Charlie and the Chocolate factory who blows up lik a big blue ball! :-)

On Saturday my sister and mum gave us our pram and car seat which they have so generously purchased for us!! I was so excited and it all seemed very real! You know your ready to have a baby when your admiring your pram and thinking it is the greatest thing you have. It is red and looks very snazzy! We will get the car seat put in soon.....then we are all systems go! Ray and I are very lucky to have such supportive family and friends.

I woke up with a bit of a cold today and so I have laid around snoozing and watch DVD's and reading....very lazy but what else is a long weekend for????

28 weeks....welcome to the 3rd trimester.

Well this week I have been back on planet earth and feeling like my usual self! We are 28 weeks now and have reached the third trimester! It is starting to feel very real and a little scary. With only 12 weeks to go I can not help but start to think about what is in store. It is so exciting and like waiting for Christmas. I have been starting to wonder what bub will look like, if it will be a boy or a girl and just hoping that everything goes well. I have also been starting to think about the big day....labour! It is such an unkown and so different for everyone. It is also really hard to imagine what it will be like. All I know is that the outcome is going to be truely amazing and Ray and I can not wait to meet our little one. It is so nice for Ray at the moment, as he can see my tummy growing all the time and he loves to talk to the baby and feel it kicking.

This last week I have slept really well (except one awful night) so I am hoping that the sleepless nights are over! I have been feeling really fit and healthy and am loving my walks to work. I had a great weekend with my family and spectacular little neice.....who puts all the petty worries and stresses into perspective! I met up with Helen on sunday and we walked about 14km around Centenial Par, down to Bondi, along the foreshore and back up through Bronte. I am loving my new Belly bra that supports your growing tummy so you feel really comfortable and snug. It takes some of the weight off oyur pelvvis which is a relief. I will even admit to having a little 2km run/plod at the end of my walk....I am getting itchy feet and am looking forward to being able to run again. I was actually suprised at how comfortable I felt and kept it really SLOW about 7min/km pace.


So at the moment things are really great! Apart from a few "oh my god, how am I getting this baby out of me" moments I am feeling really happy. I have had a bit of stress over money and worry about managing while off work and on half pay....but I feel a much more relaxed this week. I have decided you can only spend what you have and we will make do. There are people far worse off. So 12 weeks to go and I think it is fair to say we arw big kev excited!!!!

Duck and Cover.....

This week seems to be the week of out of control hormones!!! I have been in tears at the drop of a hat and it would be fair to say "slightly paranoid" all week. You know that feeling where you wonder about all comments people make and wonder what they really meant by that. Needless to say it has ben a bit of a rollercoaster week and my poor hubbie has had to duck for cover on many occaisions! Thankfully he is very understanding and even though it makes no sense to him at all, he is being very tolerant of the joys of pregnancy hormones. This morning was no exception as I became teary and distressed after gettign on the scales. Even though I have been worried as my weight had stayed the same for 5 weeks I decided this morning that the increase in kg's meant I was a blob. Ray tried to point out that I was being irrational....which I thought was a particularly bold statement to make to a pregnant woman at 4:45am on a Sunday morning and I got into the car to head off to the striders star not quite convinced. I will also admit to feeling a little jealous this morning, as I love the Berrowra run and felt a little green at Ray being able to run off into the bush. So I headed out on my own with the 15km option map to go for a walk. It was just what I needed!!! The bush was spectacular...it was all misty and cold form the rain and the birds were all going crazy. It took about 5 mins for my mood to lift and all the stupid worries to disapear. I felt full of energy and on top of the world as I walked through the bush on my own listening to Opera on the i-pod. I was going to do the short cut and walk about 10km but I felt so good I ended up walking 15.5km in 2:45mins. I loved every minute of the walk and put all my worries completely out of my mind. I felt great today and managed all the monster hills with out too much drama.....and let me tell you there are HEAPS of huge hills in this course!!! I finished about 15 mins before Ray got back from running 30km....also with a huge grin on his face :-)

The rest of the week was pretty usual....walked to and from work monday to thursday and headed to the gym. On Friday I took mum to the bay and we walked a lap of the bay and then on Saturday I met the girls and did the 9km lap of the bay and then had a yummy breaky at Bowen Island.....mmmmm fruit toast. Ray ran and then met us half way and walked the rest of the way. So it has been a great long weekend with a few hormonal moments thrown in just to keep us all guessing!!

So I am hoping to keep the hormones in check this week. Hahaha I am not sure how I will go but no harm trying ;-)

Where does the time go???

Well who can believe two weeks have flown by! I have been pretty slack with the blog, mainly because I can not update it at work and by the time I get home and eat I can't be bothered to turn the computer on! I have been plodding along and have had a bit of a growth spurt...or the baby did any way. I now look pregnant and there is no mistaking it :-) I am still walking to and from work and getting to the gym 4 times a week....which is keeping me sane! It is also helping with the insomnia....although my obstetrcian (who is a runner) very sympathetically said to me "you poor thing you really need to go for a long run!"....there is an understatment! I am quite suprised that I am not going as batty as I thought I would, but yes I really do miss that feeling of putting on the shoes and running along and feeling great! But in the grand scheme of things it is a blip on the radar and there will be plenty of time to run in the years to come. So at the moment I am quite content walking along and day dreaming about runs I can do when I am fit again.

I also managed to get the worlds lamest injury last week from an excessive amount of over enthusiastic cleaning!! I spent about 7 hours scrubbing the house from top to bottom...an I mean I was on my hands and knee with a scrubbing brush! By Sunday night my right wrist was swollen and I could not pick things up.....a nice dose of tendonitis! I am happy to report that it has settled very quickly and the advice for all is don't do 7 hours of cleaning!!! At least we had a nice shiny unit!

I had another scan last week and baby has grown heaps and is now up under my ribs. I get breathless pretty easily and feel full ALL the time!! It is a weird feeling to feel like you have eaten a 10 course meal after only a sandwich. It kind of self limits any pigging out :-) Bub now kicks all the time and it is super active in the evening when I lie on the lounge. It is pretty amazing as Ray gets to watch the bub kick through my tummy. It is also really amazing as bub reacts when I am playing the violin....hopefully in appreciation ;-)

So every thing is going really well! No complaints and I am feeling great! I have only 9.5 weeks of work left and 13 and a bit left until the big day. I will update the photos soon as the belly is rapidly expanding :-)

Update

24 weeks!!

This last week has been really busy with lots of sanding, puttying and getting ready to paint on the weekend. I have been walking to and from work most days and went to the gym 3 days last week. I am really enjoying the walking and it seems to be helping me sleep. I have been having these bizzre nights where I wake up at 2:30am and am wired! I feel wide awake and ready for a day of work, then I feel exhausted and ready for sleep about 20mins before the alarm goes off. But with the extra walking I seem to be sleeping a bit better. Mother Nature is getting me ready for things to come.

I am feeling really great and I think that the belly is getting bigger....which I am loving! I find myself rubbibg my belly or just walking along with my hand on my belly. Bub is really active and I love to feel the kicking. Ray finally felt a few really strong kicks a few nights ago and his face was priceless! It was pure shock and amazement... "wow did you feel that??"

So on Saturday my wondferful sister came down and helped Ray to paint the baby room. I was shattered from doing sanding and painting the undercoat during the week so I was very thankful for her help. We painted a lovely pale green and I am glad it is one big job out of the way. With Ray training for Fitroy falls the next 6 weeks he will be pretty pooped and then it is the marathon, then a few weekends of birth classes and then it is almost show time. So I spent a great day with my mum and little Alex and they did all the hard work :-)

Sunday morning it was pouring with rain and while Ray went off to meet the girls for a long run I opeted to stay in bed. It occurred to me that I have 16 more potential sunday sleep ins, so I should make use of a few!! We then had a really realxing day and went to see Die Hard 4.....pure action and I suprisingly enjoyed it- a mature Bruce was not to bad to look at for a few hours either! Bub was going crazy in the movie....mut have been responding to all the noise.

So we are now 24 weeks....16 to go!

Thankfully Ray no longer looks like an alien with his infected eye!! He could have been an extra in a boxing movie. Thursday I walked to work and then to the gym in the evening. Friday is usually my favourite day of the week, but not today! I almost did not drive to work becuase it was such a beautiful morning and felt like spring. I fluffed around, so I took the car and parked outside my office. About 20mins after getting to work I looked out the window to see a huge big dent in my drivers side door! Some thoughful person had reversed into the car and left a massive dent!! No note!!! Now I might be naive to expect this kind of decency but I thought that if you hit someones car and obviously smashed half the front side in then you would leave a note....thats what insurance is for people!!!! Thankfully Ray and I are not possession people and took the view of it is only a car and will be fixed and thankully no one was in the car...but am dissapointed that someone was so thoughtless and dishonest. What comes around goes around!

I went to the gym in the evening and did a boxing class (no body imapct!!!) and got out all my frustrations! Then when we were at Rays mums for dinner they offered us to have a lovely wooded tallbay for the baby room....see already improving!

Saturday morning was filled with sanding and puttying walls and then I met some loely friends at the bay and we walked two laps (14km). I felt great and we were keeping a pretty good pace....haha each time we hit a slight incline (they are there, despite appearing flat) they would just glide a head as I felt like I was walking backwards! Amazing the difference having a person on baord makes.

The growth spurt continues and I am excited and loving the growing bump. One week off 6 months so I am glad it is finally getting bigger. This last week I have been waking at about 2am and just lying there not able to get back to sleep. I mean I feel totaly wored and ready to get up....then at about 5:30 I am really tired and ready for sleep. Hmmmm is this mother nature preparing me for things to come???

Today my lovely sister picked me up and did some fancy driving to get us a park about a 10min walk from the finish at city to surf. We had a really yummy breakfast at North Bondi and then lay like lizzards in the sun. It was much more relaxing than lining up for hours at the start line thatsd for sure. It was fun watching the winners and cheering all the crazies home. There were a few Borats this year....one of which really should have had an x-rating! Now sorry for the visuals but that will be particularly nasty chafing!! Ray ran likw a champ and crossed the line in 65 mins. Talk about spot on!!! We had worked out a guestimate from his lane cove 10km time and I had said about 64-65mins....so he was pretty spot on. He looked really relaxed as he ran dow the finish chute! I then went home for a 2hr nap....hard work this cheering :-0

Nothing too exciting to report today. Walked to work yesterday which was chilly but very nice. I have my system down pat and the porridge seems to keep me from eating my arm off by 10am.

I headed to the gym tonight and did 40mins on the elliptical trainer and some weights. I felt really good and bub was bouncing along. I had trouble sleeping on Sunday and Monday night....my tummy muscles felt sore when I rolled over- They felt like they were stretching. Well when I got to the gym on tuesday night and pulled on my t-shirt I was a little suprised to feel it fitting very snuggly. Now this t-shirt was baggy a few days ago! Yep the belly has started to pop out.....even Ray noticed as soon as he got home. I love it! So I am sure the next few weeks I will continue to get rounder :-) Bub has been really active and kept me awake this morning from just before 5am....not that I mind, I really like the feeling of bub wriggling around. The movements are starting to get much stronger...so the fun begins.

Well we were obviously one hit wonders going from 1st place to almost last at trivia- it is always harder when you do not know the answers!!!

Long time...no blog.

Well work finally has decided that blogs are a security risk and are now on the list of off limit web sites. That means I need to update at home, which is not actually a problem except by the time I get home I can not be bothered!! So lets see what have I been up too??

Thursday I walked to work again and I think I the perfect route marked out. I even found myself day dreaming about potential spots I can run post baby... " this hill would be good..." Sad huh! I am still getting to the gym in the evenings and working out the non pregnant bits and my core. People are starting to give me those looks...they think I am pregnant but are not sure- they will work it out soon enough!!

Saturday we went to Lane Cove for the striders 10km and while Ray ran I had time keeper duties. I am not sure what happened but after about 10 mins of hitting the button I felt really nauseated and thought I might need to dash to the loo. I felt very green and had to sit on my haunches to try and get it finished! Thankfully I held it together...weird! We then drove up to Newcastle to see the family! My favourite cousin is off to Europe so we wanted to see her befor she goes. I was POOPED by the time we got home!

Sunday morning we met the usual suspects at Grays point for their long run. They were doing about 33km and Ray was only doing 20km becuase of city to surf. So we picked up Helen and headed to the shop at Audley wier. I headed off for a walk along Lady Maquarie drive and Ray and Helen waited for the others to pass through. My aim was for them to not catch me too quickly! I managed to get 7km into LMD and turn around to head back before they caught me. It was such a beautiful morning.....sunny and cold. There were heaps of runners out and I was chuffed when a mum ran by with bub in the pram :-) there were heaps of birds along the track and it was a very relaxing way to start the day. Bernie then opted to keep me company and walked back....I was very thankful for the company and as usual we had no problems polluting the air with out chatter!!! I walked 14km in 2hrs18mins. We had a yummy breakfast and a brush with fame, as Bernie pointed out our waitress was in fact the Australian Princess! I know I felt special ;-) I then went home and had a 2hrs nap before spending a relaxing afternoon doing NOTHING!!

Sunday marks 22 weeks....five and half months! The bub is moving heaps now and Ray can feel some movement too. I have been getting reflux each time I eat the past few days....so Renie are my new friends! I am loving being pregnant at the moment!

Tonight I had my violin lesson and it was my final chance to record my level one graduation peice. Now I have been practicing my butt off for this and I play it perfectly at home.....but put me in the room with microphone and my teacher recording me and I freak out and the nerves get the better of me every time! I am so excited that tonight I managed to get it finally recored!!! So if I never have to hear that Gavotte one more time it will be too soon :-) I joke to Ray that the baby will have heard it so often it will be the peice of music that it will settle too.....D'oh!!!!
I am so excited to finish it and that means I can start on level 2 :-)

The last few days Ray has had the car to get to training....which means I do not have to get up to go :-) I walked to work and it was about 5kms and took me about 50mins. I can walk the back streets and keep off the main roads. I actualy found it quite fun to plod along and sticky beak at all the houses....Amazing what you don't see running. It was a great start to the day although I did get VERY hungry by 9:30am. I walked again this morning and decided to take my porridge to work and have it after the walk....so we will see how hungry I get this morning! So I think Monday and Friday I will drive and walk Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Haha I may have to leave earlier and earlier as I get bigger :-) If I need to set out te night before I will catch the bus ;-)

We had a great night last night....went to local trivia with our favourite people. Despite Ray putting a jinx on us early we came out on top and scored first place!! I always knew Rays endless knowledge of useless facts would come in handy one day!!

I can not believe another weekend is over!! They fly by so fast. We had such a great weekend! Firstly Ray got his P's!!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!! I am so excited....he can now get to training without me and more importantly I can stop sweet talking the local taxi drivers and he can drive me to the hospital in December :-)

Saturday we went to the bay... Ray did a 12km run and I walked a lap of the bay. It was clear and cold and watching the sun set was lovely! I really enjoyed walking and clearing my mind.

Yesterday we met the girls at 6am. Ray and the girls did a long run and I wnet for a walk. I headed off from Queens Park and made my way down to Bronte Beach and then along the foreshore walk to Bondi. I then headed back along Campbel Pd and back up Bondi Rd. I headed back along Carrington road and finished with a lap of Queens park. It was about 12kms and took me just over 2hrs. It was a brilliant morning and a great walk.....although Bondi rd felt like a mountain! We finished with a yummy breakfast. Sunday evening I felt pretty pooped! My 2hr walk felt like a 3hrs run....I slept like a log :-)

I spent the afternoon with my sister and mum and little Alex....always fun!!!
Little Alex was born in November 2005 and I can not believe how big she is now! She is a really little character with a great sense of humor and is such fun to be around. Here is a baby and now picture! So cute!!

2o weeks.....half way mark.

Well as promised here is the belly at 20 weeks! I still think it looks fat and not pregnant, but Ray reassures me I am looking pregnant. Its quite funny, I would not have thought you could have belly envy...but at the scan I saw some woman at the smae stage as me with really nice big round bellies and thought why don't I look like that. Mine seems to be quite spread out and not yet that round. Any way it is a work in progress, still plenty of time to get big and round :-) Then I will probably complain....haha we are never happy!

The past 3 days I have been feeling bub really regularly! It is so exciting. It is a little strange sitting in meetings or at home visits with clients and trying to concentrate when all I want to do is stop and talk to bub because I can feel it bouncing around. I am also feeling fantastic at the moment! My energy levels are great and I am feeling really full of beans. It is so nice not to feel that exhaustion you feel early on. On another note...baby brain has well and truely kicked in! I had to feedback some information at a meeting yesterday and all I could not remember for the life of me anyones names! I was saying " you now who I mean, the girl with the frizzy hair..." Very professional! Thankfully they thought it was funny!

Monday, Tuseday and last night I went for about a 40min walk and then to the gym. I am working hard to keep my core and abs nice and strong...it is meant to help with labour and beyond- I will try anything to help :-) As bub has moved up much higher now, I feel quite short of breath when I am walking- makes you appreciate and miss that really nice fit feeling.

So we are over the half way hump....bring it on :-)

First Pictures.....

What an amazing experience!!! I can not really put into words the feeling of seeing this little life for the first time. We have had a few little scans, but they are really unclear and mainly so the doctor can see a heart beat. The scan on Saturday was so clear and detailed that you could almost say who it looks like....well not quite ;-) I felt completely overwhelmed and full of joy. I know that sounds a little corny but it is true. To think this little life is growing inside is so awesome!! So I felt a sense of awe, joy and pure relief and yes there were tears! I have no idea why I was criying....I just felt so happy and excited. Ray thinks it looks like him......poor bub!! We also got a DVD of the scan so I could share it with my mum and sister. They are so excited and supportive of Ray and I it was nice to be able to share it with them. We kept the sex a secret and I am pretty proud I managed to resist the temptation. I did enquire half way through if they could see anything, but they were not really looking because we said we did not want to know...Phew!! Ray loved seeing the baby...makes it feel real for him. Despite my growing size, boobs and erratic hormones I am sure it must be hard for the dad to feel how real it all is.

I am also feeling movements since Saturday night quite regularly....so I am a very happy girl this week! Needless to say I could not care less at the moment about running and muy lack of!! Sorry for the ramble.... I feel a little excited at the moment! I will update belly pictures on Wednesday at the 20 week mark...half way!!

Plodding along....

Well the weeks are marching along! I can not believe it is almost half way. It still seems a long way off, but then when I think how quickly the first 20 weeks have gone....it will be here in a blink! I have not really felt any movement except a few flutters and to be honest that may have been wind :-) All the books and other mums are asking me am I feeling the baby yet and I am a feeling a bit disapointed that I am not. I am really looking forward to feeling the moevements...it will feel so rerassuring to feel bub moving around inside. The doctor did tell me that seeing I am a fist time mum and have really strong Abs I may not feel anything until 21 or 22 weeks. I hope he is wrong! We have our scan on Saturday and I can not wait! All the other scans have been in Dr Oppermans office on a tinly little scanner and it is hard to see a lot....so to see bub on a clear machine is very exciting.

I have been feeling really full when I eat....I can not imagine how crowded it must feel towards the end! I have not put on a lot of weight which is good. It is a bit scary when you are used to being so active and then to cut it down so dramatically, I was a little worried I might turn into a house! At the moment I have put on 5kgs and expect a bit of a growth burst over the next few weeks. But I am happy with 5kgs at almost half way.

This week I have been going to the gym and walking and doing some light weights. I have been taking it pretty easy as this cold is still hangin around....I think I sound worse than I feel. I am enjoying the walking....feels more comfortable than running. I think that I must be running differently given my changing shape and it feels a bit weird and unstable. I am not missing the running as such, but I am missing seeing my little group of friends terribly! You take it for granted when you are seeing people 4-5 times a week! I have my graduation peice from level one in violin coming up and so I am doing a lot more practice! That is keeping me out of mischief :-)

I will update the belly pictures next week at the 5 month mark and I might put the fist pics of bub on as well!

I have had a very quiet week...spent mainly in bed! I managed to get Rays flu and felt awful! So lots of sleeping and resting was all that happened this past week. We headed down to King of the mountain run yesterday with Bernie and Wayne. I dropped them at the start and then met Naomie for a very slow 8km run. I was surprised I managed anything at all given how yuck I had been all week. Ray and Bernie ran really well and it was exciting to see Ray complete his longest run so far!

I am feeling human again and almost back to my usual self and am quite keen to get back into my routine. I will head to the gym tonight for a walk and some light weights. I am still not sure about the running...I am playing it by ear.

Hi from under the doona

Still have a yucky cold....so have spent yesterday and today under the doona! I am feeling more human today, so hopefully will rejoin the workld tommorow.

18 weeks today :-)

1 week and a few days until we have the exciting 19 week scan....so far we are both in agreement to keep babies sex a suprise. I hope my curiosity doesn't get me! you know the saying curiosity killed the (Kit) Cat! Things are going really welland I can not blieve in 2 weeks we will be half way....GULP! I am looking forward to doing the babies room in the next month or so....that will make it fel even more real!

update....

Friday: Went straight to the gym after work before heading to coles to stock up for striders 10km...Deanne and I did the catering and there was so much food to buy! It was quite embarrassing having a trolley full of lamingtons and lollies!

Saturday: I know I said no more running but I went for a walk this afternoon that somehow turned into a 5km run....oops! I felt fine and no pain or discomfort. the striders run in the morning went well and the runners seemed happy with the food. there was so much there bu it almost all got eaten...just a few scones and jam rolls left over.

Sunday: Ray did the Woodford to Glebrook race today. I felt like I had run a marathon myself by the time I dropped him at one end and then got to the other and dragged allt he bags etc up to the finish! I stupidly had agreed to carry a runners bag from the start back to my car and take it to the other end. It must have weigher 20kgs and walking back to the car almost killed me! You forget that the body is already using limited resources and then add another 2okg onto my back!! I also unfortunately seem to have gotten Rays cold....thats Karma for the limited sympathy provided! So we both collapsed when we got home and had a sleep, then dinner and straight back into bed! Poor Ray was exhausted from running with a really bad cold....so we were a good pair!

Movement.....

I almost wused out of a swim yesterday afternoon...so hard to convince yourself to get your clothes off and jump in the water in winter. It was really enjoyable in the water and I warmed up pretty quickly. I did 20 laps and then saw an older guy peeing in the pool so jumped out....I know that happens, but if you see it happening it is hard to then continue swimming through it! I then did some weights and core stuff at the gym.

I think I felt some movement last night!! I felt a funny feeling like blowing bubbles. It was not something I have felt before so I was pretty sure it was baby and not me. Then I lay there waiting for it to happen again....haha needless to say I did not sleep too well! I am sure the excitment will wear off....especially when your getting kicks in the kidney or ribs ;-) but I hope it happens again soon :-)

Wave the white flag....

Monday:

Went to the gym...jumped on the elliptical trainer and then did some weights.

Tuesday:

Went for a 30min run tonight and then headed to the gym. I have had some Sciatica problems over this last week, it was fine while running but later in the evening it started to ache again. I think it will be time to jump in the pool. I have always had issues with my pelvis and sciatica/lower back pain. It has not been a problem at all over the last 18months but I am not surprised given that the pregnancy hormones cause the joints and ligaments to loosen up. So I am sure the pelvis is not as stable....even with all the core exercises to keep it in place. So I think I will wave the white flag....I would rather jump in the pool than be in pain.

Wednesday:

I will head to the pool this afternoon....I have packed my bag to go there straight from work. Somehow I think it will be hard to convince my self to go swimming once I get home :-) The glute/lower back still feels achy this morning, so I think it is definately the right choice. Time to listen to my body.

We are 17 weeks today and the tummy is getting bigger! I had a wardrobe drama yesterday...not a lot left that feels comfy. I will try to hold out a while longer and then buy some maternity clothes. A friend has loaned me another gismo to extend the life of my clothes.

update

Friday:

Went to the gym this afternoon and did the fatburner class. Lots of leg exercises....just what I need, work the non-pregnant bits :-)

Saturday:

We arrived at the CR challenge a little later than planned. I was hoping to run before every one else and just plod to the finish, but ended up starting witht the 30min group. I was aiming at about 33mins so I decided to let them kust take off and I would plod at my own pace. I felt really good this morning and was surprised when I caught and passes a few people. I finished in 28 mins a bit quicker than planned. I then did plod back to the start which seemed to take forever....and a much needed loo stop! We spent the afternoon clearing out a heap of clutter and a trip to the dump...I love that feeling of getting rid of excess crap!

Sunday:

We again arrived a few minutes too late for the 6am start of the star!! We need to get up earlier! So Ray headed out with the 6:10 group for 26km and I made my way from Dee Why SLSC to Manly fairy beach (past the manly SLSC) and back. I ran the first 7km and walked back, arouind 13kmin total. I was so slow this morning!!! I know technically it is running if both feet are in the air, even if it is only mm off the ground. It really felt like a shuffle this morning and I have become aquainted with each toilet at all the SLSC between Dee Why and Manly...stupid pregnant bladder! It was a spectacular morning though....no clouds and the sunrise was pretty amazing over the water. It is also very nice to have some time to yourself to think. It was really cold so we had a drink and zipped home and got back under the doona.....after a hot shower and porridge of course :-)

Full of bounce!

Wednesday:

Headed to the gym tonight....did my legs, upperbody and core/abs workout.

Thursday:

This morning we had our 4month visit and scan. I love getting to see the baby on the ultrasound...it is so reassuring and very exciting. It is so reassuring to see this little person bouncing aroud and seeing a healthy hearbeat. Dr Opperman said that bub had heaps of energy and was super active....I wonder where it gets that from :-) The bub was wriggling heaps and kicking its legs and had grown heaps! Dr Opperman said that in a few week I will be able to feel all the movements, I can't wait for that! He also announced that my uterus had grown heaps....yes I had noticed that courtesy of the expanding belly!

I had a day off today ad spent it relaxing...snoozing on the bed and reading. I headed out this afternoon for a 5km run and felt great. I then finished with some stretching and core excercises. I am hoping to be able to keep running for another month, but am just listening to the body.

16 weeks

As promised more belly shots, me at 16 weeks.

A grumpy start...

Monday....nothing today!

Tuesday

I dragged myself out of bed this morning and headed to the park. Ray was doing a time trial around the lake and I plodded around the park for 5km. The rain held off and it was actually a lovely run. I was happy I made the effort despite the grumpy start! I hovered around the 6:30/km pace and felt really comfortable. The park was pretty empty this morning with only the Kookaburras for company :-) I am enjoying running on my own....I feel a little guilty running with others because I am so slow. At least on my own I feel relaxed and if I want to stop and walk I can.

Update...

Friday:
Headed to the gym after work and did the fat burner class. Well they all did the fat burner class and I did a pretty good impression I thought :-) Seriously there was a lot of legs tonight so it felt great! Then I did the groceries *goran* but arrived home to the most amazing smell....my ledgend of a husband had cooked dinner!

Saturday:

After a lazy day with lots of napping I convinced Ray to come for a walk with me. We headed out at my cracking pace and there was a lot of teasing about my "power walking" style. We walked 7km and then came home for some well deserved food!

Sunday:

Ray met some other runners for a long 25km run starting from the bay, so I took advantage and did a run walk. I ran for 11km ancd walked 3km...twice around the bay. Because of the rain and the cold it was dead around the bay which was lovely...except of course for a few other crazy runners (JD). It was so relaxing cruising around and watching the sun come up behind the clouds. Ray and I finished off at Bowen Island with a hot chocolate and fruit toast! Mmmmmm! I felt great today again but crashed on the lounge by 7:30pm.

I spent the rest of my sunday with my family, watching my little neice play. She is so cute and is learning to say our names. I won't put down what she calls Uncle Ray ;-)

Shortest day....

Last night I arrived home and sat on the bed and thought I would just close my eyes for a miniute....20 mins later I woke up a little confused at why the clock was saying 5:20pm. I felt better and decided to head out for a plod in case the rain reappears on the weekend. I layered up, it is getting so cold in the evening and went for a slow 5km run around Kingsgrove. I finished up at the gym and did some stretching and core stuff. I felt a little uncomfortable today and for some reason had to keep pulling my skins up. I have found that the skins are the most comfy thing to run in...feels like it is all held in place.

Woo Hoo its friday!!!!

Some blue sky....

Tuesday I headed off to the gym...I know it is politically incorrect to say but I was getting a bit sick of the constant rain. It always makes me feel a bit cagey. So I jumped on the bike and did some upper body and legs.

Yesterday I watched the clouds move away and the lovely blue sky appear! I went straight home and put my running stuff on and headed out for a run. It was such a good feeling to be out in the fresh air. I plodded around home for 5kms averaging 6:20/km. I felt great and finished back at the gym with some eights and core stuff....before heading out for dinner after a horrible day at work.

This morning we both slept through the alarm....or I forgot to turn it on?? Either way it was a rush to get up and ready for work. Ray will do his session at lunch and if it is still nice this afternoon I will go for another plod.

Next week I will put some more photos up...then it will be the 4 month mark :-)

Nerves and a growing belly!

I decided to make Monday a rest day and not do any exercise! I felt really tired after Sundays effort and felt like the body needed to recover. I had my violin lesson and I am pleased to say that I am practicing for my graduation from level one! I have to learn a peice for graduation and then tape it and send it off to be judged. I have to perform in front of my teacher, which is not too bad.....BUT she informed me last week I have to perform without my music!!! It is abnout 3 minutes in length and quite technical so it will be a challenge! So this past week I have been learning the first half by memory and had to play it from memory last night. It was hilarious because I got really nervous for some reason and my bow arm would not stop shaking and I could barley play let alone play from memory. But after lots of big breaths and telling myself to stop being riduiculous I managed to get it out...phew! I am going to have to practice playing in front of people to learn to cope with nerves! I am still loving the violin...it is a real challenge and feels so good when you're playing and it all comes together. I find it really relaxing...except when having to play in front of people!

This morning the rain was bucketing at home when the alarm went off for training. Ray flatly refused to let me run in the rain... "I need to look after myself". He is already being a brilliant Dad! So he will do his session in his lunch hour. The exciting thing is we worked out he should have his hours completed in about 4 weeks and can go for his test. That means he will be able to drive himself to training and I will either walk to work or catch the bus....very exciting! So I will head to the gym tonight and do a run on the treadmil...or a walk or whatever!

My tummy seems to be popping out a bit more this last few days. Most of my clothes now need buttons undone or zips at half mast. I even caught a glimpse of my reflection at work and thought I looked pregnant! Woo Hoo! Tommorow is 15 weeks...time is ticking by!

Is that it???

Is that it??? Is that the end of the weekend?? It goes way to quickly!!!

Friday and Saturday I headed to the gym to avoid the cold, wet and rain. This morning we went to the striders star which started at the bay. The rain held off and it was not windy at all...definately cold but that was over quickly once moving. The others ran all over the place but I chose to just run around the bay....flat and no need for a map. I ran with a lovely man who is coming back to running after a long time off and typically the 6am group took off like stunned rabbits so he was happy to run at my pace and the company was much appreciated! I felt really great today and had more energy than the past few weeks. I crused around the bay and covered 12km at 6:20/km pace and then finished with a 2km walk to finish off while I waited for Ray. I was feeling really great until this afternoon I felt suddenly exhausted and needed a sleep! Amazing what an hours nap will do to recharge the batteries! Someone asked me this morning how long I plan to keep running?? I answered as long as I feel comfortable and I am enjoying it. I can imagine in a few more weeks I might start to feel uncomfortable as the belly gets bigger. I am not too fussed...once it feels too hard I plan to walk. At the moment I am enjoying my runs and will just listen to the body....haha like when it demands sleep!

Not so squeezy.....

It is amazing what a night out with frineds can do for your mood! Thanks to Helen for having a birthday, we had a great night out last night which helped me to pull my head in! My pants are a bit tight...Boo Hoo and move on :-) Now I am sure to revist this subject again very soon, but for the time being who cares! So this morning when the button on my favourite black work pants would not do up- instead of getting distressed I though "woo hoo, I can try out my new little belly band thingy". So I have this comfy little band of material that covers the undone button and looks like I have a shirt under my shirt....layers! All good. They fit everywhere else just where my tummy is starting to pop out a bit and get a nice little round shape! Which means I can get more time out of my clothes...it would annoy me to buy more clothes becuase the top button does not do up! So the belly band gets a thumbs up :-)

I headed to the gym last night....the rain had well and truely set in and a run in the rain and cold seemed stupid! So I did 40mins cardio on the bike and eliptical trainer and then some legs, upper body and core stuff. I am working my abs and pelvic floor like a demon...all baby safe, I found this great Australian book that goes through safe pregnancy exercises for each trimester.

So it is Friday....Yeah Ha!

Update....

This week has whizzed by...time for an update.
Monday I went for a 7km walk after work. I did not set out to walk for so long, but I keep forgetting it takes me longer to walk the way I usually run!!

Tuesday- Ray and I both ignored the alarm and stayed in bed!! I went for a 5km run after work. It was really cold but very relaxing! I then went to the gym and did some core stuff and stretched.

Last night I went to the gym and did a fat burner class. This week she used the boxing gloves and we worked with a partner. It was a fantastic upper body work out and helped with the bad day at work :-)

I am having a struggle this week....I am feeling like a blob! I know I am pregnant Blah Blah but at the moment I do not look pregnant just podgy! For me this is petrifying! I made a promise to myself after loosing all the weight that I would NEVER go there again!! So now putting on weight and watching my clothes get tight and the scales go up....it is a hard one to get my head around. It is such a weird feeling...to be ecstatic one minute and then feeling teary and fat the next! Haha I think the hormones are not helping either!!

On an exciting note we were 14 weeks yesterday!!! Only 2 more weeks until another scan and 5 weeks until the exciting 19 weeks scan! I love seeing the little one growing inside....absolutely mind blowing!!!

Wild weekend....

Well the rain well nd truely set in on Thursday night and has been truely wild ever since! I thought the windows in our bedroom might blow in on Friday night!!! I had a relaxing Friday and had dinner at my in laws which is aways YUMMY!! I felt tired today so no exercise...just lovely rest :-) The nausea is still hanging around, but seems to be worse before I go to bed.

Saturday we headed to the cross country run that Sean put on for Randwick Botany. Ray was keen to run and as there was a break in the weather we rugged up and headed over....only to find just as we arrived the heavans opened again. My plan was to plod at the back and do the 5km while the rest did 7.5km....and hopefully not be dead last! I ran with Rays waterproof jacket which looked ridiculous and slightly billy idolish ;-) It was so windy and wet....but what fun! I felt lieka 5 year old running through mud puddles! I had a ball and let me just say nothing beats a hot shower after being soaked!! I finished the 5km in 31mins and was not last :-)

This morning we headed over to Willoughby for the Star. After last week I decided to do the same thing...head out at 6:30am when the sun was up a little and take the 15km map and run until I was tired and walk the rest. Again it was raining...but I was so layered and rugged up I was warm as toast. I had a long sleeve running top, waterproof vest and wind jacket on top and my hat.....So I kept pretty dry. I had such an enjoyable run. I just plodded along at my own pace and because of the weather there were hardley any cars or people out. I ran through Willouby and Cremorne and cameray and back to Willouby. it was misty and quite spectacular running over the stone bridge. I really enjoyed the time on my own and felt really peaceful....excpet for the pregnant bladder which seems to need 20min loo breaks....not so good when all the toilets are locked! I managed a 10km run and a 3km walk to finish. I felt really good today althought I needed a nana nap when I got home!! No aches in the pelvis, although I will be begging my lovely sister for a massage tommorow....the lower back glutes could do with some TLC :-)

Also very excited to say we have laybyed some baby things- makes it all seem very real :-) We could not ressit a big sale at baby kingdom....got to love a bargin!

Hang your shame at the door.....

Last night I went to the gym and did a "fat burner" class which I really love doing. It is one of those classes where they do lots of leg and arm work combined with high energy stuff. The good thing is that all the moves are easily done without any impact or jumping around. So it is a great way to do an hour work out with some of the girls with great music....and of course once I pull the "13 weeks pregnant" card I can just plod along at my own pace. The main thing is to not get too hot and drink lots...which is easy done. I am also really intune with how am feeling ohysically and just stop if I feel too tired. I am happy to report that my engy levels are getting better.

This morning we went to the park again and the rest of them had hills and I had a lovely run 6km run with Deanne. I am amazed at the committment of my friends to get themselves injured at various times so they can run with me really slowly as they are on the mend ;-) Seriously I am so thankful for some company! It was not as cold this morning because of the clouds and juast as we finished all the lighteing started and the heavens opened up and it BUCKETED!!!! I hope all this lovely rain is going where it is needed!

Now in the theme of leaving your shame at the door with the whole pregnancy thing I have decided to put some photos of the expanding belly and update them monthly. I figured if I am keeping this as a bit of a record of the next 27 weeks, I would swallow my pride and put them on show. So apologies for my obscene shots :-)

Me at 13 weeks

Fartlek

After a great sleep last night I practically bounded out of bed this morning **slight exageration** and we headed into Centenial Park for training. Well Ray was there to train and I was there to cruise around. Most of the guys had 6km fartlek on the program which meant I could just sit at the back and plod at my own pace. so I was the self appointed sweeper :-) I felt great again this morning and enjoyed just running watching all the other guys whizz by. So I covered 5km in 30 mins and a 1km warm up/cool down. I feel so much better after the run and despite waking up with nausea it has gone for a while....a definate positve of doing some exercise!

Time flies....

Back to work this morning....Boo Hoo! How quickly does the weekend go??? Friday evening I went for a lovely 5km run from home. It was nice and cold and the full moon was up. It was such a nice feeling to be out about in the air and running. I kept the pace really slow (6:30/km) but enjoyed every step!

Saturday morning we were up super early for the Striders 10km. I was on volunteer duties and Ray was flying the flag for the Rowells. He did a great job running for the two of us with a 1 min pb...43:08! It was so nice to see him grinning from ear to ear!!!

Sunday I met Bernie at the Striders Star....we were a little late as I got a little navagationally challenged :-) Ray got there in time to chase the 6:10 group as they ran off into the dark. Bernie and I had a lovely 7km run and then finished with a 6km walk. I am so grateful for the company and happy she ran on the spot to keep with me :-) The walk through the bush was spectacular!

I have the yucky nausea back again....it is just a constant car sickness feeling. I am looking forward to when this goes away! The exercies seems to hlep which is good!

Friday on my mind!

Woo Hoo!! Thanks goodness its Friday...what a releif! Yesterday was really exfiting....we had another scan and got to see baby again. It is has grow heaps and looks like a little baby now. It was rolling and kicking and waving its hands. It is amazing to see all that happening inside, but not feel a thing! So we got the thumbs up :-) I was very relieved....it is amazing how protective you feel already and I was ecstatic to see the baby looking so energetic- know I know why I feel so tired!!!

I went to the gym Wed and Thursday and did some cardio and all my core exercises. I am quite enjoying riding the bike as there is no impact or discomfort. Mind you I was green with envy as Ray went for his long run on Wednesday morning! So for everyone feeling a little unmotivated and grumpy about getting up....appreciate it! You certainly miss it when your not running as much! I will go for a run this evening and then hopefully on the weekend if I am not too tired.

Laps of the lake.....

I met Pete and Bernie this morning at the park for a plod. The rest had a 4 lap time trial and I was thankful to be able to cruise around. I went for a walk last night and surprisingly felt a bit stiff in the hips this morning. It was such a perfect morning and we finished with one lap of the lake as evryone whizzed by. The nausea from yesterday has settled thankfully. It seems to go away after I either run or walk....so I need to keep reminding myself to keep active. Once I clocked up my 5km I stopped and stood with Sean and yelled at Ray each time he ran past....quite fun!!

Botany Bolt....or crawl

I have decided to blog my experiences over the next 28 weeks on the road to becoming a mum. Initially I was not keen and then I thought it was a great way to record how I am feeling and what I have been up too. It might be incredibly boring for anyone poping in, but I am sure this will all feel like blur to me come December so it will be fun to look back on the whole thing.

Yesterday was the Botany Bolt.... a 4km cross country run put on by Randwick Botany Harriers. Ray and I headed out to support Sean. I have been running 5kms 4 times week over the past 8 weeks but I was feeling a little self concious about running in a timed event. Thankfully Bernie agreed to escort me and the little one around the course. Now I will admit to completely avoiding anything that resembles a hill over the last 8 weeks....well because I can :-) So the mountain in the middle of Mutch park was a bit of a shock! Once the gun went off Bernie and I were left at the back of the pack to do the Sweeping duties. We chatted the whole way....to make sure I did not over do it and the winning male came in just as we had done our first lap. On the second lap Cindy yelled out to smile as she took a photo.... great just what you want!! We finished in about 25 mins and it felt great!

Two more days until the end of the first trimester...yeah! One down...three to go! I am hanging out for the energy levels to return and I can say good bye to the exhaustion!

A new goal........

I thought I would dust off the old blog and drop by and give a bit of an update. The question every one keeps asking me is what is my next goal after 6ft? I managed to bask in 6ft recovery for a while, then claim a few niggles were holding me back well then I think it became plainly obvious. I have a goal picked out and have approximately 28 more weeks to get my self organised and ready to toe the line. Ray and I are pregnant and are due to extend our little family on about the 12th December 2007. So for obvious reasons have cut down on the running and have refocused on a new and exciting adventure. I have been running 4 or 5 days a week and am keepin my runs to no longer than 5kms. I am also running at snail pace....because I can :-) It is actually quite refreshing to just run for the feeling rather than times/paces/distances. I am planning to run while I feel comfortable and I will stop when my body gives me the nod. It has been a good time to explore other interests and spend some time supporting Ray as he has done for me for the past 4 years! So I am going to be support staff for the next little while.....but I will be back :-)

So there you go....questions answered! I will by no means bore you all by blogging for the next 28 weeks. Although with all the cazy hormones it may make for an interesting read :-) I do believe Ray can add "lion tamer" to his resume :-)

So see you all out on there....cheering for the next little while and then hopefully whizzing by with a pram.