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 :-)