For all you people bitching that the baby bump aint big enough, just let me tell YOU that those photos are from almost 4 weeks ago, and since then I have put on weight with the fury of a fatman living in a country made of lard where fatness is a sign of wealth/prosperity...
.. I dont really understand what I just wrote either...
But the POINT is that I am a fair sight bigger than I appear below. Which is worrying as I'm not even half way yet (hit 18 weeks tomorrow). There are a number of photos confirming htis, but they are all stuck on Olivia's iPod, so hopefully I can rip Dave away from his computer in the next day or so before she leaves, so I can download them and relieve hte baying masses.
All is well here. Managed to mostly sort through all work emails today. I am weel, baby is fine, travels went well - no problems. All in all this whole pregnancy thing is a bit boring, not much to write about. I dont think I'm glowing or anything ridiculous like that. Just getting fatter which is a pretty slow process I can only really measure by what I can still wear without looking ridiculous. Oh - and I have fur covering my stomach and something weird is happening to my bellybutton which could potentially be very disturbing.
Going to meet Olivia, Doon and Kate (Dave's brother and his girlfirend) shortly at the London Eye (the huge ferris wheel opposite the british houses of parliament), then off to Leicester Square/Chinatown for some Chinese. Yum.
Then tomorrow off to Wimbledon for so strawberries, ice cream and Pimms with either Dave (or Olivia if Dave feels like he can't take the day off.... so probably Olivia) for some centrecourt action. Hopefully Ley Ley or someone exciting is playing. Although it looks like all the exciting players have played in the last day or two. We will see.
Must go. Ta ta.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Alive and Well
Just a quick note to say all is well. In Santorini at the moment, I chanced upon the fact that the hotel we are staying in has free internet. Will be back in London on Monday (arrive at 3.30pm which will see me start a mad dash across London in an attempt to catch some of the Aus v Italy game) and you can expect a more rounded update on how things ahve been for hte past week then.
Paris was pretty good (apart from the fact that it is filled with the the type of rude people that give hte French a bad name), and Greece has been incredible. It has been skimpy little dress weather the entire trip (though mine of course need a bit more room around the middle) Milos was a real find - snall, but INCREDIBLY beautiful island (we swam around those volcanic cliffs in the picture with the boat below) which was almost untouched by tourists. Santorini is beautiful - whilst slightly touristy - it is vibrant and our upgraded suite has the most amazing view of the caldera and the island.
We've had a few ups and downs, and funny situations which I will detail on here (or will I? still promising to do a write up of my Amsterdam trip back in January...)at some later date when I get time to sit down and write something more substancial. Will also add photos of course.
I am well, baby seems fine, though makes me uncomfortable at time. Quite prone to getting cramps and due to the larger size of my belly, my boobs and unimpressive posture- some positions are now hard to breathe in. I definately can no longer lie on my stimache which means that getting to sleep is a changing routine and that after my 10 days int he sun it is likely that only one side of me will have any sort of 'tan'.
Must go - Livy waiting in hotel room (which is no chore considering the balcony and amenities) as I dont think she realise how long a 'trip to the computer' would be..
xxH
ps I not that neither mez or geordy have updated their blog since I left, so I am pretty safe in assuming they write it purely for my pleaseure :)
Paris was pretty good (apart from the fact that it is filled with the the type of rude people that give hte French a bad name), and Greece has been incredible. It has been skimpy little dress weather the entire trip (though mine of course need a bit more room around the middle) Milos was a real find - snall, but INCREDIBLY beautiful island (we swam around those volcanic cliffs in the picture with the boat below) which was almost untouched by tourists. Santorini is beautiful - whilst slightly touristy - it is vibrant and our upgraded suite has the most amazing view of the caldera and the island.
We've had a few ups and downs, and funny situations which I will detail on here (or will I? still promising to do a write up of my Amsterdam trip back in January...)at some later date when I get time to sit down and write something more substancial. Will also add photos of course.
I am well, baby seems fine, though makes me uncomfortable at time. Quite prone to getting cramps and due to the larger size of my belly, my boobs and unimpressive posture- some positions are now hard to breathe in. I definately can no longer lie on my stimache which means that getting to sleep is a changing routine and that after my 10 days int he sun it is likely that only one side of me will have any sort of 'tan'.
Must go - Livy waiting in hotel room (which is no chore considering the balcony and amenities) as I dont think she realise how long a 'trip to the computer' would be..
xxH
ps I not that neither mez or geordy have updated their blog since I left, so I am pretty safe in assuming they write it purely for my pleaseure :)
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Football and Travel warm-up
Well today it is a stunning 28 degrees in London. I could enter into a whole diatribe on the difference between an Adelaide 28 and a London 28, but that would be slightly boring. Let me just tell you that 28 in London is perfect (bordering on too hot for porcelain dolls like me) and the chances of sunburn are not high. Lovely. It even smells lovely. The big ginger tom cat from downstairs is lying on its back, spread-eagled in the sun. People are happy, England flags fly on every corner of every building.
I’m sure it hasn’t escaped the notice of people in Australia (maybe Canada?), but the World Cup kicked off yesterday in Germany. And today see’s the first game for England (vs. Paraguay) which unites this pretty diverse country in a patriotic fervour which leaves the post-Ashes display to shame. I did a spot of Maternity shopping on Oxford street today (more on that later) and it was apparent that no self-respecting English male would wear anything other than an England shirt. And some sort of red/white display on the bulk of females was also obvious. By sheer freak of chance I was wearing my green and yellow… Go Brazil.
Anyway – it’s just a lovely day, a great time to be in England. It’s catching - this build-up to a football tournament. I now read the latest reports on Rooney’s foot with great interest. I too laugh at the genius cult-figure which is becoming the lanky Peter Crouch (who amusingly broke into ‘the Robot dance’ as a part of his goal celebrations. Very much looking forward to Australia’s entry into the tournament, Dave and I debated hanging an aussie flag from the bell-tower of our house (and therefore very visible from a main south-London intersection). This idea was discarded when we realised that we would need to invest in getting an Aussie flag – something that no self-respecting English shopkeeper would currently be doing.
So the game has kicked-off, the streets of London are empty. We are nearing half time when no doubt the pub doors will open, and pale English will stream out, take of their tops, and try to fry them self in the half time break. Dave – as I have no doubt mentioned – is of with our good friends Chris Jameson to Stuttgart on Thursday week to watch Australia crush Croatia (thank you NAB). Kieran, with his six boxing kangaroo flags, has headed off today with 5 mates in a campervan, to help give Australian’s a bad name in Germany.
Tomorrow Olivia arrives. Which is very exciting, I have waited a while for this. But unfortunately for the thousands of avid readers of this site, it may mean a few weeks of silence. So after a few days kicking about London, we are off to Paris on Friday, then Greece the following Tuesday. Booking hotels/ferries/planes for this whirlwind trip has been something of an all-consuming nightmare, but beyond one or two final touches, it has all been done. I can simply relax, enjoy the food, and enjoy the experience.
It is all very exciting, we are spending 4 days in total in Paris, one of which will be a day trip out to sample the wares of the Champagne wine-making region. Of course, I will be strictly spitting all that I sample (as far as Dave is concerned). After immersing ourselves in all of that, we fly to Greece. After a night in Athens in a hotel overlooking Parthenon (recommended by Rachel), we will fly to the Cyclades where we will spend a couple of days exploring the quiet, secluded Milos (which has 2 of the Lonely Planet’s top ten beaches in Greece). From there we then catch a ferry to the Cyclade’s number 1 destination – Thira (Santorini) for three days of Luxury 4* living. Seeing as this is one of my final trips, minus a child, we decided to splurge a little bit and do this last bit in style. Some of us might remember this island from year 8 History, but for those needing a refresher…Thira was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the last several thousand years when it erupted cataclysmically in 1630BC. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep, and its effects may have indirectly led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete. It is thought to be linked with the burial of the Palace of Knossoss (where the nasty Minotaur roamed) and widely thought to be the place Plato speaks of when she refers to the disappearance o an island named Atlantis. But all this riveting History aside, it is the number one tourist destination, because it is so breathtakingly beautiful. I have put some photos below to further exhibit how jealous you should all be.
I made some mention of explaining a maternity trip, but really, after all that exciting Greece stuff, it is a bit of a let-down. Basically, im in week 15 and on that borderline of either pregnant or quite fat. I have little doubt that seeing as this has all happened in the last 2 weeks, it is quite likely that im going to double in the next 2, during my travels. And as a large number of pants and tops no longer fit, I went to the trouble of investing in a few ‘room th wgrow’ summer dresses. Lovely. Mind you, even though Top Shop does have a maternity wear section, Maternity shopping is a wholly boring process, and I reckon that I will shop online in the future.
We still have not bought a single item of furniture that suggests that this apartment is expecting a baby for Christmas. But I don’t think we will be going overboard in htat department, the bare essentials for a growing family that doesn’t intent to live more than a year or two longer in the UK. And besides the cutest little jumpsuit which says ‘My Daddy Loves Me’ (couldn’t resist) and a hat with bear ears gifted by Sandy Mayo, there is no sign at all.
Anyway. Must go now, as the game has finished (England won) and sunshine to be had.
So off to meet Livvy tomorrow then will go to Greenwich for the markets there or perhaps the Spitifields Market, depending what she likes……
I’m sure it hasn’t escaped the notice of people in Australia (maybe Canada?), but the World Cup kicked off yesterday in Germany. And today see’s the first game for England (vs. Paraguay) which unites this pretty diverse country in a patriotic fervour which leaves the post-Ashes display to shame. I did a spot of Maternity shopping on Oxford street today (more on that later) and it was apparent that no self-respecting English male would wear anything other than an England shirt. And some sort of red/white display on the bulk of females was also obvious. By sheer freak of chance I was wearing my green and yellow… Go Brazil.
Anyway – it’s just a lovely day, a great time to be in England. It’s catching - this build-up to a football tournament. I now read the latest reports on Rooney’s foot with great interest. I too laugh at the genius cult-figure which is becoming the lanky Peter Crouch (who amusingly broke into ‘the Robot dance’ as a part of his goal celebrations. Very much looking forward to Australia’s entry into the tournament, Dave and I debated hanging an aussie flag from the bell-tower of our house (and therefore very visible from a main south-London intersection). This idea was discarded when we realised that we would need to invest in getting an Aussie flag – something that no self-respecting English shopkeeper would currently be doing.
So the game has kicked-off, the streets of London are empty. We are nearing half time when no doubt the pub doors will open, and pale English will stream out, take of their tops, and try to fry them self in the half time break. Dave – as I have no doubt mentioned – is of with our good friends Chris Jameson to Stuttgart on Thursday week to watch Australia crush Croatia (thank you NAB). Kieran, with his six boxing kangaroo flags, has headed off today with 5 mates in a campervan, to help give Australian’s a bad name in Germany.
Tomorrow Olivia arrives. Which is very exciting, I have waited a while for this. But unfortunately for the thousands of avid readers of this site, it may mean a few weeks of silence. So after a few days kicking about London, we are off to Paris on Friday, then Greece the following Tuesday. Booking hotels/ferries/planes for this whirlwind trip has been something of an all-consuming nightmare, but beyond one or two final touches, it has all been done. I can simply relax, enjoy the food, and enjoy the experience.
It is all very exciting, we are spending 4 days in total in Paris, one of which will be a day trip out to sample the wares of the Champagne wine-making region. Of course, I will be strictly spitting all that I sample (as far as Dave is concerned). After immersing ourselves in all of that, we fly to Greece. After a night in Athens in a hotel overlooking Parthenon (recommended by Rachel), we will fly to the Cyclades where we will spend a couple of days exploring the quiet, secluded Milos (which has 2 of the Lonely Planet’s top ten beaches in Greece). From there we then catch a ferry to the Cyclade’s number 1 destination – Thira (Santorini) for three days of Luxury 4* living. Seeing as this is one of my final trips, minus a child, we decided to splurge a little bit and do this last bit in style. Some of us might remember this island from year 8 History, but for those needing a refresher…Thira was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the last several thousand years when it erupted cataclysmically in 1630BC. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep, and its effects may have indirectly led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete. It is thought to be linked with the burial of the Palace of Knossoss (where the nasty Minotaur roamed) and widely thought to be the place Plato speaks of when she refers to the disappearance o an island named Atlantis. But all this riveting History aside, it is the number one tourist destination, because it is so breathtakingly beautiful. I have put some photos below to further exhibit how jealous you should all be.
I made some mention of explaining a maternity trip, but really, after all that exciting Greece stuff, it is a bit of a let-down. Basically, im in week 15 and on that borderline of either pregnant or quite fat. I have little doubt that seeing as this has all happened in the last 2 weeks, it is quite likely that im going to double in the next 2, during my travels. And as a large number of pants and tops no longer fit, I went to the trouble of investing in a few ‘room th wgrow’ summer dresses. Lovely. Mind you, even though Top Shop does have a maternity wear section, Maternity shopping is a wholly boring process, and I reckon that I will shop online in the future.
We still have not bought a single item of furniture that suggests that this apartment is expecting a baby for Christmas. But I don’t think we will be going overboard in htat department, the bare essentials for a growing family that doesn’t intent to live more than a year or two longer in the UK. And besides the cutest little jumpsuit which says ‘My Daddy Loves Me’ (couldn’t resist) and a hat with bear ears gifted by Sandy Mayo, there is no sign at all.
Anyway. Must go now, as the game has finished (England won) and sunshine to be had.
So off to meet Livvy tomorrow then will go to Greenwich for the markets there or perhaps the Spitifields Market, depending what she likes……
Pictures of Milos
Olivia and I have booked ourselves onto a day-long sailing trip which involves circumnavigating the island, visiting all the beaches you can't reach from the land.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Some rather small - but not insignificant -news
Well a number of you may know, and some may not, but it's one of those things that are a little bit exciting, but when you go to actually tell people - you feel like a bit of a dick.
There is no easy or cool way to do it really, so you might as well get serious and formal withit.
I am baking a bun in my oven.
Damn. Not serious.
I have 8 centimetres of a Dather (Dave + Heather) being growing in my womb.
Yes: Pregnant.
Facts: 14 weeks (i think down), Due December 1, Gender unknown until D-Day, birth will be performed over here in London. Was not planned for, but it is a as welcome and happy surprise as it would be if we had planned it to minute detail.
In the last week I have developed this bit of belly that sticks out at a weird angle and my thighs and bum have 'thickened' and I am going to use and abuse the advantage of having control over this website, by only ever posting skinny pictures of myself.
All is well. Been pretty sick for the past month or so, but that should be clearing up soon. I am constantly tired and walking up a small flight of stairs has me huffing and puffing. This does not mean that I'm unfit, but rather that my body is working harder than it ever has before in creating the limbs, organs and toenails of another living creature. It is quite incredible what is happening inside of me.
We went to our first scan last week and got to see the picture of little Dather. It was surprisingly moving and the first time since we found out - it actually seemed ‘real’.
Its quite a nerve-racking telling people that this is a situation which you find yourself in. The sentence ‘Im pregnant’ is somewhat embarrassing to utter.
Plus it is quite nerve-racking waiting for the response. I know it shouldn’t matter what people think, and I wish I was a stronger person who lived by that ethos. But due to my age and people’s perception of me being ‘career oriented’ - there is a tendency to assume that this is an accident that we never spoke about eventuating (wrong: it was a top 5 topic of ours, but the plan was for it to happen a year down the track). Plus people can’t help but put themselves in my shoes and decide what is wrong and what is right based on a limited view of the real circumstances.
Hmmm. I’m not too sure why I wrote that above as it gives the impression that people have been negative – and this is not the case at all. On the whole people have been really positive with a few being ridiculously happy. I guess that there are a few people that the reaction has been less than impressive and with my pessimistic tendencies I will dwell on these more than I think about the joy that I am giving Kelly by joining the ‘mothers group’. And to be fair – chances are that I have too high expectations and am being selfish by not realising that there are other, more important things taking their focus elsewhere (who knows? I too have a ‘limited view of the real circumstances’).
However on the whole, friends are being smashingly lovely (and all suggesting their own names as potential baby names) and the Anders family has kicked into a surprisingly high gear over the news with a number of the women commencing knitting. I believe that a few pairs of booties and a cardigan have already been created.
What else? Taking it pretty easy – no reading too much into it – just mostly trusting my body. The hospital looks fine (which was a worry with eh state of the NHS over here in the UK). My hormones are ridiculously all over the place and I have taken to growling at Dave (which sometimes is quite fnny, sometimes not).
Mostly I am looking forward to the fact that in 2 weeks from now, Olivia and I will be on a plane on our way to Paris and then a week later in sunny, glorious Greece….
xxxH
There is no easy or cool way to do it really, so you might as well get serious and formal withit.
I am baking a bun in my oven.
Damn. Not serious.
I have 8 centimetres of a Dather (Dave + Heather) being growing in my womb.
Yes: Pregnant.
Facts: 14 weeks (i think down), Due December 1, Gender unknown until D-Day, birth will be performed over here in London. Was not planned for, but it is a as welcome and happy surprise as it would be if we had planned it to minute detail.
In the last week I have developed this bit of belly that sticks out at a weird angle and my thighs and bum have 'thickened' and I am going to use and abuse the advantage of having control over this website, by only ever posting skinny pictures of myself.
All is well. Been pretty sick for the past month or so, but that should be clearing up soon. I am constantly tired and walking up a small flight of stairs has me huffing and puffing. This does not mean that I'm unfit, but rather that my body is working harder than it ever has before in creating the limbs, organs and toenails of another living creature. It is quite incredible what is happening inside of me.
We went to our first scan last week and got to see the picture of little Dather. It was surprisingly moving and the first time since we found out - it actually seemed ‘real’.
Its quite a nerve-racking telling people that this is a situation which you find yourself in. The sentence ‘Im pregnant’ is somewhat embarrassing to utter.
Plus it is quite nerve-racking waiting for the response. I know it shouldn’t matter what people think, and I wish I was a stronger person who lived by that ethos. But due to my age and people’s perception of me being ‘career oriented’ - there is a tendency to assume that this is an accident that we never spoke about eventuating (wrong: it was a top 5 topic of ours, but the plan was for it to happen a year down the track). Plus people can’t help but put themselves in my shoes and decide what is wrong and what is right based on a limited view of the real circumstances.
Hmmm. I’m not too sure why I wrote that above as it gives the impression that people have been negative – and this is not the case at all. On the whole people have been really positive with a few being ridiculously happy. I guess that there are a few people that the reaction has been less than impressive and with my pessimistic tendencies I will dwell on these more than I think about the joy that I am giving Kelly by joining the ‘mothers group’. And to be fair – chances are that I have too high expectations and am being selfish by not realising that there are other, more important things taking their focus elsewhere (who knows? I too have a ‘limited view of the real circumstances’).
However on the whole, friends are being smashingly lovely (and all suggesting their own names as potential baby names) and the Anders family has kicked into a surprisingly high gear over the news with a number of the women commencing knitting. I believe that a few pairs of booties and a cardigan have already been created.
What else? Taking it pretty easy – no reading too much into it – just mostly trusting my body. The hospital looks fine (which was a worry with eh state of the NHS over here in the UK). My hormones are ridiculously all over the place and I have taken to growling at Dave (which sometimes is quite fnny, sometimes not).
Mostly I am looking forward to the fact that in 2 weeks from now, Olivia and I will be on a plane on our way to Paris and then a week later in sunny, glorious Greece….
xxxH
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