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 :-)