Foetus at 20 weeks

This week, Tadpole has decided it’s a lot of fun to wait till I’m settled in bed and then decide that s/he isn’t comfortable - and give me a jolly good kicking till I move! But it doesn’t matter which position I adopt - none of them are good enough for our little Tadpole - more kicking ensues after about 2 minutes (which is just long enough for me to start thinking, “hey, maybe I will get to sleep tonight!”). And the kicks are really good and hard now too! There’s hardly any of that faint, fluttery, scurrying feeling any more - it’s just mighty whacks to my insides. If the kid keeps this up, then I’ll be black and blue on the outside within the next few weeks - and there’s still another 20 weeks to go!

I’m actually enjoying being pregnant these days. I got a comment from one of the directors at work this week (the only female director we have) who said she’d finally figured out that “congratulations are due!” I laughed and said, “So, did you just think I was getting really, really fat?!” She smiled and replied that usually she saw me sitting down or from behind, so she hadn’t really noticed my expanding belly. Other comments usually come in the form of, “You’re really blooming these days!” My take on that is that they reallymean, “You’re getting really BIG these days!”, but everyone swears they mean I’m glowing. I’m putting that down to my fabulous new makeup (I ordered some Sheer Cover stuff and I have to say - it really is fantastic! Just a free plug there for the stuff).

Some interesting fact about being 20 weeks pregnant:

• Tadpole is now approximately 6.5 inches from crown to rump (notice there’s no measurement of legs included there - our kid seems to have very long, very strong legs, judging by the karate kicks…)
• Tad is currently sporting a coat of vernix caseosa (white, waxy substance that protects the skin whilst our baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid)
• I’ve started getting just a little out of breath when I go up a flight of stairs - something that doesn’t usually happen, so I’m putting it down to Tadpole!

Since the latest question on everyone’s lips seems to be, “So, have you chosen names yet?”, I thought I’d let everyone know that, yes, we have chosen names. We picked them out weeks ago - a first and middle name for a girl and the same for a boy. And no, we’re not going to tell anyone what they are until Tadpole is safely out in the big, wide world, so don’t ask!

What I will do, however, is let you in on some of the names that didn’t get chosen, although these ones did make it onto the shortlist.

Firstly, we decided we didn’t want to choose a name that began with either of our own initials, so names beginning with K or D were out straight off (which took out a few of the names I’d pinned for finalists). As were names beginning with S, as we didn’t want our kid to be landed with the initials SS (also, there’s always the chance of a lisp and when your last name is Smurthwaite, that’s going to be hard enough work without being called “Thophie Thmurthwaite”). The last criteria was that we didn’t want to name Tadpole after anyone else in the family (which took out another few potoential names that I really liked):

Girls’ names that didn’t make it:

• Hannah
• Dylan (it’s a “D” name)
• Morgan (Dale didn’t like it)
• Litha (sounded too much like a lispy “Lisa”)
• Maya / Maia
• Abby (no, not Abigail - just Abby)

Boys’ names that didn’t make it:

• Dylan (yes, I liked it for a boy OR a girl, but its a “D” name)
• Tom (my Great-Granddad’s name was Thomas)
• Jack (Dale’s Dad is known as Jack)
• Connor
• Rhys (no good having your first name finish with the first letter of your last name)
• Yule (Dale really hated this one)

So, there you go - none of these names were chosen in the end, whether because one of us didn’t like them, or they didn’t fit the aforementioned criteria even though we both liked them. We finally settled on the only names on which we both agreed. The girl’s name was far easier - there was one name we knew we both loved and I came up with a middle name that went very well with it and, much to my surprise, Dale loved it too. The boy’s name was more difficult - Dale came up with a middle name instantly (it’s definitely not first-name material) that I agreed, and I came up with a first name that Dale decided he liked and that went well with the previously-chosen middle name. So we were both happy. Of course, whether or not Tadpole agrees with our choice when s/he is older is another matter entirely. then again, neither Dale or I have ever liked our own names - why should our kid be any different?

It’s sad to think just how suspicious we have become these days. I know that many people are out to scam us and that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is, but sometimes I don’t understand how people can be so unbelieving of something as simple as ordinary kindness or consideration.

For example, this afternoon I went shopping in Sainsburys with my lovely hubby. We don’t often shop there, but we sometimes do a “top-up” shop in between our main grocery shopping (which is done as Asda because it’s cheaper and usually has a slightly wider selection of goods). As a result, we don’t have a Nectar Card (it’s basically a credit card with a points system built in - when you shop, you earn points on your spend which can then be spent on other things).

As usual, when we got to the checkout, we were inevitably asked, “Do you have a Nectar Card?” Not having one, I turned to the next person in the queue and said, “We don’t have a Nectar Card, would you like our points?”

Usually, this offer is greeted with a smile and thanks, but on this occasion, the woman behind us eyed us with suspicion. I had to reassure her that we didn’t want anything - we just had no need of the points (as we don’t have the aforementioned card) and didn’t want to see them go to waste. She then very reluctantly produced her Nectar Card as we handed over the cash for our purchases.

Now, as it turns out, we spent about £50 on this occasion as it’s going to be another week before I get to go grocery shopping. This means she’d be getting somewhere around 50 Nectar points - quite a nice little haul. She didn’t even say thank you, but instead continued to eye us with caution as we walked away with our shopping.

Call me cynical, but was it so hard to believe that someone might be so kind as to pass the points to the next person when they have no means of collecting them for themselves? Is it so unusual for people to show a little consideration in this way? Please tell me, because I’d really like to know! Have you ever tried offering your points to someone? Did the person thank you or were they thrown by your generosity? Or has someone offered you their points? What was your reaction?

Personally, I have been offered Nectar Points from someone else’s purchase - I thanked them and explained I didn’t have a card either - the person behind me was very grateful to receive the points from both the people in front of her!

Surely small acts of random kindness aren’t so rare as to cause fear and suspicion in people in general? Or am I wrong?

Foetus at 19 weeks

The frantic pace of activity at work never ceases and I’m finding that I get tired by around 3-o-clock in the afternoon these days, which isn’t ideal as there are still another two hours of work to do and, on Tuesdays, I have my shorthand class too! Actually, I’ll admit, I have to fight to stay awake in class and I was very glad the class was cancelled this week, as I was able to go home and crash out on the sofa instead!

Tadpole continues to turn somersaults throughout the day, but mostly remains quite quiet at night, The midnight trips to the loo still haven’t abated and aren’t helped by the fact that I wake up thirsty, so I add to my next trip before I’ve even got back into bed! I’m also hungry a lot more of the time, but fortunately, I haven’t put on too much weight (from my calculations I’ve only put on about 7lbs since the beginning of the year, which seems about right from all the various bits of bumph I’ve read.

And apparently, we’re officially at the half-way mark! I had been thinking of twenty weeks as having the bun in my oven half-baked, but according to the weekly progress email I received this morning, this is the half-way mark after all!

Some interesting fact about being 19 weeks pregnant:

• The top of my uterus now reaches my bellybutton and will continue to grow at a rate of about 1cm each week (Wow! That’s pretty fact!)
• Tadpole is about 6 inches from crown to rump (surely that can’t be right - it said that last week too!) and weighs about 9oz (so there’s been a weight gain, but no length gain? How odd!)
• Cells for sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell are all developing in their specialised areas of the brain and Tadpole is starting to get used to the sound of my voice (I’d better start reading to Tadpole - gotta instill a love of literature in the kid!)

Things that have happened this week:

Actually, not much new has happened this week - Tadpole is still somersaulting around in there and I find it difficult to get comfortable in bed at night, but I’m finding things a little easier with the use of my giant support pillow - really, I highly recommend them to anyone who is pregnant! I’m slowly getting back into reading again, but only in short bursts, and I quickly forget what’s happening in whatever book I’m reading - I guess the mumnesia is really kicking in big time! And finally, my new DVDs finally arrived - Pilates in Pregnancy and Yoga for Pregnancy - so I’ll be giving them a tryout over the next few weeks. I’ll let you know how I get on with them!

Foetus at 18 weeks

It’s been a busy week - I’ve been running round like a headless chicken (well, not really, but I’ve been doing a lot of to-ing and fro-ing) at work as the office has been going crazy, and Tadpole has been turning somersaults and doing a whole lot more growing too! And now that I’m 18 weeks pregnant (almost half way there!), I’m officially entering my fifth month of pregnancy, which is hard to believe, as it feels like we only found out about our little Lone Ranger five minutes ago!

Some interesting fact about being 18 weeks pregnant:

• Tadpole is now about 6 inches long from crown to rump and weighs about 7oz (so I guess all the extra weight I’m carrying is due to a massive placenta and an ocean of amniotic fluid!)
• Whether Tadpole is a girl or a boy, all the “girlie-bits” or “boy-bits” are there now (so if the hospital didn’t have a “don’t ask because we won’t tell” policy, they’d likely be able to tell us the sex already.)
• Tadpole can now feel and hear (although (s)he won’t hear much but my heartbeat and my grumbling tummy when I’m starving - which I am all the time these days)

Things that have happened this week:

• I’ve discovered an inconsistency in the general public - people are  more than willing to give up their seat on a bus to a pregnant woman, but not their place on the bench at the bus stop. How strange!
• Little old ladies have started smiling and nodding at me in a very knowing way (which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, as if they’re saying, “I know what you did to get pregnant, you dirty minx!”)
• According to a friend at work, I now always look like I’m smiling on the inside, even when I’m not smiling on the outside. When I asked what that meant, they replied, “It’s like you know a special secret, even though it’s obvious nowadays what your ’secret’ is - you’ve got a twinkle in your eyes.” I guess that’s a pretty lovely thing to say, really.
• Tadpole seems to have quite a regular little routine - a fair old bit of activity off anf on throughout the day, but mostly quite quiet at night. According to my colleague who recently returned from maternity leave, if they do that in the womb, they’re more likely to have a similar routine once they’ve come out, which is nice to know!
• Pregnant women are public property. Complete strangers will ask for  details of your pregnancy whilst you queue for a changing room or the toilet. They all want to know your due date, whether or not you had morning sickness, and if you can feel the baby moving yet. People who would usually never dream of talking to you, or even noticing your existance, suddenly find you the most interesting person ni the vicinity! It’s very strange.
• You can never have too much Indian food.

I put in that last comment because although I find it very easy to get “Chinesed out” if I have Chinese food several times over a short period, I could quite happily eat Indian food every night of the week and never get sick of it! I actually had Indian food the last three nights running (balti, dahl, madras, laal, rogan josh - you name it, I’ll eat it!) and would quite happily have it again tonight, but we’re going out to a Chinese restaurant tonight with family. Not that I won’t eat the food - it’s particularly good - but a couple of weeks back, I had Chinese three nights on the trot, and was heartily sickened of the stuff, so I’d much rather go somewhere else, really - perhaps for a nice streak with pepper sauce, or perhaps a curry…). I’ve not had proper craving for any one food, but I guess the closest ones would be that I like cheese a lot and love the spiciest Indian food I can get in my hungry little mouth. And yes, I’m always hungry now.

Fortunately, I’ll be able to combat putting on too much weight, as my new DVDs arrived today - Pilates in Pregnancy and Yoga for Pregnancy. Yes, I know they’re not exactly fat-burning  cardio-vascular workouts, but they’ll help me keep (OK, get) toned and maintain (oh alright, kick-start and improve) my flexibility, both of which have got to be good, not only to help keep me healthy through my pregnancy, but also to help me get through the birth. Apparently both of these can improve your stamina too, which can only be a good thing when you hear of a normal labour lasting anywhere between six and thirty-six hours - that’s a marathon and a half! And best still, they both appear to include workouts for after birth too, which will help me get back into shape - preferably a better shape than I was to begin with!

I was wandering around the internet and perusing a few blogs, which led to me reading other blogs, and still others (isn’t it funny how you end up somewhere you’ve never been before, reading something that inspires you?). I wish I could remember which blog led me to it so I could thank them and leave a link, but in clicking on something on that last blog, I was taken to a wonderful site that gives you prompts to do little things that can make a big change in your life - and the lives of those around you…

So I ended up registering and making a list of things I would pledge to do. From the 100 actions given, I chose 28 for myself and here they are:

1. Decline plastic bags wherever possible
2. Read a story with a child
3. Fit at least one energy-saving lighbulb
4. Smile and smile back
5. Take public transport when you can
6. Plant a tree
7. Have a bath with someone you love
8. Turn your thermostat down by 1º
9. Get fitter, feel better
10. Register on-line as an organ donor
11. Learn to be friendly in another language
12. Turn off unnecessary lights
13. Use a mug, not a plastic cup
14. Turn off the tap whilst you brush your teeth
15. Recycle your books
16. Buy fairly traded products
17. Shop locally
18. Grow something with a child
19. Recycle waste paper
20. Enjoy a Fairtrade brew
21. Practice good manners
22. Shut down your computer properly
23. Practice good mobile phone manners
24. Lose the plastic cup
25. Leave work on time at least once a week
26. Smile when you answer the phone
27. Take the stairs
28. Say thanks

The theory is that each time I complete these tasks, I tick them off at the website which tracks them all. When everyone ticks off their actions, you can see what a huge difference is being made each and every day. The simplest action can have the biggest impact - just a smile to someone as you pass them can help lift their mood and then they do the same to someone else - it’s a knock-on effect.

Now I challenge all of you to do the same thing. Go on, nip along to the website for We Are What We Do and make your own list. Make a difference yourself!

And if you’re interested in keeping up with how I get on, you can see my own check list HERE.

The wheel of the year has turned once more and it’s Earth Day again - a world-wide day celebrating Mother Earth when we can (and should) all consider the little differences we can each make to live greener lives.

Whether you decide to ditch the car and use public transport today; choose to walk or cycle to work for a change; take a trip to your nearest recycling centre with all your waste paper, glass and plastic; plant a tree or some garden plants; buy organic produce when you do your shopping today; or countless other little changes that can easily be made, do it TODAY!

There are Earth Day events planned all over the place, but you don’t have to attend one of those to do your bit. Just use your noggin and think about that small but significant contribution you can make. After all, if everyone in the world did one thing, imagine the huge difference that would make! Start it off yourself.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

You can find out more about the history of Earth Day HERE.
If you’d like some handy hints on how to live a greener life, have a look HERE.

A couple of years back, I took part in Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life in Aberdeen. I ran in memory of my Great Grandad who died of cancer when I was just six months old - I never had the chance to know him. I had planned to follow it up with a repeat run last year, but was unable due to the timing conflicting with other arrangements, which was rather disheartening.

I now have even more of a reason for continuing to support this worthy cause, as my Aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. Fortunately, it was caught very early and they were able to operate and remove the tumour entirely. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and will also have a course of radiotherapy later in the year. We’re very lucky - my Aunt is now doing very well and should have a full recovery.

Others are not so lucky.

Cancer Research UK makes a real difference - pouring money, time and resources into the never-ending search for a cure for all cancers. They largely rely on contributions from generous people like you and me and spend over £22 million each year on that research. There has been great progress made in recent years, but they still need more help - that’s why I’m making a shameless plug right here on my blog.

This year, I’ll be heavily pregnant come Race Day, so I’m having to miss out again. However, my very good friend, Kerry Elder, has entered and I have willingly sponsored her some well-deserved cash. If you would like to sponsor Kerry, you can do so on-line HERE.

Or, if you would like to take part in Race For Life yourself, you can find a race near you HERE.

Thank you.

Foetus at 17 weeks

The weeks just seem to be flying past nowadays! Here we are, almost half-way through pregnancy when it seems like we only found out about Tadpole a few minutes ago - it’s been ten weeks already - can you believe it?

My belly is now definitely more noticeable than ever before, although I still feel that I just look a bit tubby rather than properly pregnant - not everything has fully rounded out just yet (although, hopefully that will happen over the course of the next few weeks!). I saw several people this week who I hadn’t seen in quite a while, so they most certainly noticed the difference and commented on it - mostly along the lines of “You look so much brighter - more yourself again!”, or “You’ve got that glow about you.”, or “Wow! Look at your belly!” It was nice catching up with them too.

Some interesting facts about being 17 weeks pregnant:

• Tadpole is now about 5.5 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 5oz (which, on the size side of things, explains why I’m  feeling a little bit “stretched” already!)
• Using a special instrument, you can now hear the foetal heartbeat (which we heard last week at my 16-week appointment, and it was wonderful)
• If this is a first pregnancy, the mother should now begin to feel the first fluttering movements (so Tadpole is a fast learner and quick to pick up on a good thing, as I’ve been feeling those flutters for a little while and got a good proper kick the other night - albeit a very small one!)

Things that have happened this week:

• We felt a small kick from the outside for the first time. It was a very small one, but Dale definitely felt it. The kid must have lanky legs, but then I thought that at the 12-week  that turned out to be 13-week scan, and both Dale and I have long legs, so Tad is probably inheriting those.
• I’ve realised that Indian food really is my absolute favourite and would probably eat it almost every night given the chance. I’m not sure if it counts as a proper craving, as i don’t need it right away in the middle of the night or anything like that, but anything spicy is good.
• I’ve started really missing pepperoni. I was told by my midwife to avoid deli meats - including pepperoni - even when it’s been cooked as on a pizza.  Lately, I’ve found myself eyeing up the Pepperamis in the shops and wishing I could just sink my teeth into one of the fiery-hot ones. I also miss my home-made chickpea and chorizo soup.
• My nails are looking fabulous - really strong and long - and they’re not snapping off like they usually do once they get to this length (thank you, Tadpole!).
• The only comfortable way to sleep is with a giant sleep support pillow jammed between my thighs and hugging the top end of it tightly to keep it close against my belly.
• Sleeping with a giant support pillow jammed between my thighs and hugging it tightly gives me very naughty dreams!
• My sister-in-law has discovered she is also pregnant. She’s ten weeks behind me, so we’ll have our babies very close in age. Unfortunately, she lives in Edinburgh, so we won’t get to see as much of her and the baby as we’d like to, but it’ll be nice for Tadpole to have a cousin so close in age.

And now that the Spring-like weather has finally decided to put in an appearance (although, whether or not it deigns to hang around is another question entirely), I’ve decided to start shopping for some summery clothes that will fit over bump but not make me look “matronly” or frumpy. Cue lots of swirly gypsy skirts and maxi dresses made with crinkly material that will stretch over my ever-growing bump. Of course, in order to ensure I don’t look like I’m wearing a tent, I shall have to get some pretty ethnic-looking belts to put round my hips (under bump, see) and pull things in a bit. I have decided that 99% of maternity clothes look frumpy no matter what they are or where you get them - it’s just the nature of the clothes, I’m afraid. So, my attempt to combat that is to avoid them as much as possible and just get ordinary clothes that will fit over the bump. I’ve never been so glad that empire-line tops are in fashion!

Everyone has their foible; some little quirk they’d rather keep to themselves if at all possible. In my case, I’ve managed to keep a major one of mine from my husband for eight whole years, then a little slip-up tonight let the cat out of the bag.

You see, I’m a frustrated, aspiring writer from a theatrical background and this combination has made for a tiny idiosyncrasy in my approach to how I write dialogue, which was witnessed tonight, for the first time, by my very sensible, non-writing, non-acting better half…

I was in the bath, you see. My bath time is my me time. I usually spend the time reading, but I can’t read while I’m washing my hair, so that’s when I specifically turn to various scenes from the novel that will one day work its way out of my head and onto the page. The weather was rather fine today, so I had the window open* and was working out a little dialogue between a couple of characters.

“Kell, why are you talking to yourself and making gestures with your hands?” came a voice out of nowhere.

I must add, here, that as I was washing my hair, I had taken off my glasses, and without my specs, I’m as blind as a bat! I thought Dale was standing at the bathroom door and tried to catch a glimpse of him in the bathroom mirror above the loo.

“And why are you trying to look towards the door?”

He was on the veranda! Having a cigarette!**

So, I had to explain to him that his wife wasn’t crazy*** and that I was writing my novel. When I write dialogue, whether or not I have pen and paper to hand, I have to act out the parts to make sure they sound right. Now, I was speaking the lines very quietly, so it must have sounded like I was muttering something under my breath, and with all the gestures, Dale could have been forgiven for thinking I was casting some terrible curse over the Noisy Bitch upstairs****.

The problem I now had was that my explanation sounded flustered and nervy as I hate being watched*****. And now Dale was having a right good laugh at my expense. He’s still laughing now and going on about me talking to invisible people. Of course, I just made it worse by saying, “They’re not invisible in my head - I know exactly what they look like!”

There’s nothing quite like making your other half realise he finally has proof that he married an utter loony.

Ha! He’ll be laughing on the other side of his face when I pen my best-seller!

~~***~~

* We’re in a first floor flat with the bathroom window opening onto our secluded veranda, so there was no danger of me being seen by anyone, or so I thought!

** He gave up smoking again a few weeks ago, but succumbed once more to the lure of the cancer stick a few days back and is not allowed to smoke in the flat or when he’s out with me.

*** Well, no more crazy than usual, anyway.

**** And, what with me being a Witch and all, that could be a reasonable assumption! Damn! I could have used that as my excuse and come across as at least being semi-sane!

***** I had a stalker at one point while I was in college. Fortunately, no restraining order was required to keep the nutter away from me - just two of my big, rugby-player mates from the Halls of Residence who didn’t even have to lay a finger on my would-be suitor. All they had to do, in the end, was look impressively large and use their excellent vocabularies to their fullest extent in describing exactly what could happen to someone who kept following their mate around once his advances had been spurned. See - brawn and brains in the same package! Those guys really were fabulous. And they were both big softies too.

Last night saw another first - Tadpole kicked hard enough for it to be felt on the outside!

I was lounging on the sofa, last thing at night before bed, watching an old episode of Jonathan Creek (I have a bit of a thing for Alan Davies, I’ll admit to that!), with my hand resting low down on my tummy, when I felt a pulse against my palm. I was a little shocked as it was so unexpected - I though maybe in the next couple of weeks I’d start feeling that, but not right now!

So, I called Dale over quickly to make sure I hadn’t imagined it. I gently pressed his hand to the same spot and within seconds he was treated to a double-kick!

So, our little Karate Kid is already practicing the Stork Stance (all together now, “Wax on; wax off!”). Or perhaps we have a mini Mike Portnoy in there practicing for that first drumkit…