... 6 weeks to go!

It's Friday and what a week it has been.  I have to say it has mostly been a crazy week work wise with this stupid job I am doing which is supposed to be 2 days a week and at the last count I have actually spent 20 hours on this week already (and believe me I am not let off by it being the weekend...).  I was supposed to have a Production Co-ordinator starting with me on Monday - and god I need one - but he has gone AWOL and I can't get in touch with him.  So I have spent the last 2 days trying to find a replacement. But it is nice to know that I will only be working for 6 weeks more weeks before my maternity leave starts (that's if I don't just forget it!).  God I can't wait.  AND I even got confirmation that I will get my maternity pay this week!  Which is a huge relief as a freelancer.

So what nice things have happened this week?  Well we had a nice weekend.  I popped off to Yoga on Saturday morning, which is my 'retreat' each week and was lovely.  My teacher also does pregnancy massage and is currently doing a deal for her yogi's for an hour massage for the price of half an hour...   OF COURSE I am booked up for the weekend after next!  Straight after yoga.  Wow that is going to be a lovely Saturday morning.

Then we headed to Bromley to meet my lovely mate Clare for lunch at good ol' Pizza Express. It was nice to catch up. 

Sunday was my Mother-In-Law's birthday and we headed to my sister-in-law Nicky's for a BBQ.  Another lovely Woznica family day...  Ella spent most of it bouncing and pretending to 'fly like a fairy' on the trampoline while shouting "yipee!" (I swear it is only kids that say that). 

Nicky managed to make a lovely cake, which she was really proud of, but you won't believe it to see this photo of Ella and Max tucking in (sorry Aunty Nicky).

So we nearly have everything for the baby now.  Buggy board has arrived as I have refuse to get a double buggy although Ella is the laziest 3 year old ever...  and even had a trip to Ikea on Wednesday this week and bought a few final bits and pieces.  This was a great excuse to meet Jo for lunch and the girls to have a play in the Cafe there.  But 7 months pregnant going around Ikea with a 3 year old was pretty exhausting it has to be said (and won't be repeat - lesson learnt). Mind you I did realise that you can put kids in the soft play area there from 3 years old... so next time. 

So this weekend we are having a chilled one.  Yoga tomorrow, maybe a little gentle gardening and then we will pop down to Essex at some point to see our lovely Niece Chloe to say 'Happy Birthday' (can't believe she will be 15) on Sunday  - yes there are a lot of birthdays this time of year for us! 

And then wait to see what next week brings...   

... whoops ... didn't want to end up in hospital... (and other tales)

Well it has been an eventful week of sorting out my priorities and making sure one takes care of ones self! 


I felt a little unwell on Friday whilst at the park with Monkey-moo and then the Braxton Hicks started (practice contractions for those of you who have a life outside kids and pregnancy!)  And they actually made me feel worse.  So Ella and I retired home to the sofa for our usual Friday afternoon film watching (and yes - it was Toy Story AGAIN!)

So when Greg got home from work and told me that we were to do nothing this weekend  - I really must remember that I am 7 months pregnant - I was actually pretty relieved.  So a relaxing weekend we had with a little shopping, some nice food and a gentle stroll in Greenwich Park. Then on Sunday evening I realised that the Braxton Hicks were actually pretty painful and... more scarily very regular.  I called the midwife and got told to get my (even larger now) butt down to the hospital to be assessed. 


Long story short (wish it was a shorter time than the 3 hours in hospital) I have a bladder infection - hence the pain and feeling unwell - and the Braxton Hicks were making it more painful.  Yes they were very regular but they were just Braxton Hicks... thank god!  So the little one is still cooking nicely..  I got a telling off from the Doctor that I am probably not looking after myself, and have to reduce my stress levels.  I know he is right! 


So I am off to court tomorrow...   that is a GREAT step in reducing my stress levels as an ex-employee from my last job is taking me (as an employee of my last company) to court for me refusing to pay him what he thought I owed him!  Don't worry.. the details are dull, but my god I could do with out that!

But I promise... I have made some steps in reducing my stress levels with very blunt emails to my current employer and a very blunt talk to myself about the fact that telly really doesn't matter enough to worry about it as much as I do...  we don't save lives here!  However I seem to have told myself that through out my career at some point.

I am currently reading a book called "Three Shoes, One Sock and No Hairbrush" by Rebecca Abrams which my friend Charlotte lent to me and she read when she was pregnant with her second - my lovely god daughter Matilda.  I have to say she did warn me that it isn't the most positive parenting book you will ever read, and I do have to agree.  It is all about preparing you for going from parenting 1 child to 2.  I am half way through so I will won't go on too much about it until I have made up my mind, but it does remind that I think some people do slightly over complicate parenting sometimes and can be pretty highly strung about it.  For example, I slightly lost a bit of respect for the author when she said she didn't attempt  to go out with both her children with out another adult being present until the youngest was 1.  What the...???  That is madness.  Most woman just have to get on with it... 

BUT the weirdest thing about this book is that Ella is obsessed with it. She wants to read it all the time...  (and sometimes the right way up!) which I find really odd.

Anyway going to sign off now as I am off to watch "Inside the Human Body" (BBC Thursday @ 2100).  Love it.

Heres to a stress free week ahead...

.. Easter, Royal Wedding, Bank Holiday and the Countdown begins..

Well it has been a while I know.  I actually just don't know where the last few weeks have gone!  I have been so wrapped up in the Bank Holidays and working hard inbetween that there just hasn't been the time to put my head into gear.

BUT - here I am. Sat having a pretty quiet evening.  Easter, the Royal Wedding and a freaky night with Derren Brown behind me I feel like I am now on the final countdown (well only 10 weeks to go!) until this other lil' girl enters our lifes and changes it yet again.

Easter was great!  Actually had a really nice 'split' weekend between having Good Friday and Easter Monday at home with Ella and Greg but I went to stay with my Mum for Saturday and Sunday. 

Ella even got bought her first bike!  What a treat...  but she loved it.  Although seems to love the 'ding-ding' (bell) and the helmet the most.  Just like her Mum...  accessories are the best after all!

Had a lovely Saturday of a delicous lunch  - just me and my Mum, then a trip to Oxford to see Derren Brown (and my cousin who was sat 5 people away from us in the SAME row and we didn't even know she was going....  ) and the BEST lie in on Sunday morning I have had in over 3 years!

My Mum lives over the road from my Brother, Sister-in-Law and my beautiful Niece Georgia and Nephew Jacob. So my lie in was followed by an Easter Egg Hunt in the field behind their house.

Check out the Sainsbury's Bags! 

So after all the fun and games of Easter we then headed back to work for 3 days before the Royal Wedding weekend.  I have to say, I rather enjoyed it  - and after a classic British Fry Up in the local Cafe we headed home to watch it on Telly...  A true Princess in the making...  Ella wasn't impressed. After a HUGE tamtrum half way through she headed off to bed saying she needed a nap!

But she did enjoy her first taste of Champers.  It was non-alcoholic... 

So back to my final countdown.  This week Ella had her first Wednesday out of Nursery as she has dropped to just 3 days a week so we get Mummy and Ella time 2 whole days in the week now until the baby comes which is lovely! 
  
Just 8 weeks of work left, and then I can put my feet up (some chance!)

Until next week...   Promise!

Coffee... sunshine & ... birthday treats ...

Oohh it has been a while hasn't it?  Normally I try and write this towards the end of the week but just didn't have the energy last week.  Yes... I have HIT the third trimester like hitting a wall!!!

Last week I really, really struggled through the week.  Lots of early nights, which I try to avoid as normally I wake up at 1am 'full of beans' , but even that didn't happen last week. 

I am starting this week with a positive frame of mind...

So, two weekends have gone by since I last wrote on "Little Girl... ".  The weekend before last we headed to the Coffee Festival - which was lovely.  Photo below is Greg and Ella on a DOUBLE deck chair at the Innocent Stand (yes I know.. they don't do coffee) I want one (or two) of them.  I didn't dare sit on one as I was rather scared I may never make it back up again. 

Also last week marked my birthday! I am now the age my Mum was when she had me.  Which is rather weird, but nice....   

On the whole it was a quiet birthday.  Greg had to be in work for 7am and, now I spend most of my days working from home, it was actually slightly lonely.  But I did get out and have my hair cut (VERY over due) which broke up the day nicely.  Then I picked Ella up from Nursery and she helped me celebrate with coffee and cake at our favourite lil' Cafe in Blackheath (or Black Teeth as Ella calls it.)

Latte and Carrot Cake for me.  Babychino and Chocolate Cupcake for Ella...  

But I had some lovely presents (and a special thanks Big Bro for my lovely Orla Keiley Herb Planter... wow ... !) and although Greg didn't get home until 8.30 he did send me some beautiful flowers and we did have some of the evening together.

I have managed to make a start and over the last couple of weeks I have bought some baby stuff!  That is exiting...  and it all seems real now. Unfortunatly I am feeling like I am really big now. I keep getting "ooh when are you due" comments from people who obviosuly think it is really soon.  I keeping say ... "oh the bump is big because I am short... " but that doesn't really seem to make sense to anyone. 

I even told the woman in Boots that today and got a very blank look back.  HELP! 

So far I have bought...  a few clothes (mostly baby grows / rompers), a birthing ball, bottles and bibs (I will breast feed but will need a couple for Daddy feeds), Bubba Sling (in pink - I KNOW but it was a bargain) and tonnes of other random stuff...

What I could really do with buying is a good nights sleep and someone else to carry my bump from time to time. But the good news is that my lovely Sis-in-Law treated me to a great pedicure and manicure for my birthday which I endulged in this weekend.  Thanks Nicky, you did a great job...  that't that problem sorted.





... until I drop...

Well what a week.  So last week I did a days work for a production company who are making a 3 part series for Channel 5 and National Geographic - and guess what? - I got the gig.  And I didn't just get the gig,  I can work from home, it is part time and I am now working until 1st July which is just 2 weeks until the Baby Girl is due to arrive (and WILL be late I am sure of it).

So this week I have been working my little socks off doing 4 days work in total but it has been really nice.

Mothers Day was lovely too.  I got a lie in while Ella and Greg made me American Pancakes for Breakfast which were just lovely and then we went into Blackheath and I got to choose some new trainers...   so I bought these! Which I am rather pleased with!

I am definatly getting more knackered again though...  but I suppose 3rd Trimester is looming.  Ella is currently sound asleep covering the entire length of our sofa.   God I could just snuggle up with her and drift off too  - but with this bump (and bum) the size that it is there is just no room for me!

I did have a slight panic 2 nights ago that I really have just over 3 months to go!  I think the fact that I have been work hunting for the last few weeks and getting that part of my life in order, I was slightly in denial about the 'inevitable'. No going back now though!

What beautiful weather. I am desperate to get out in the our garden and make it all ready for the summer so that is what I plan to do this weekend.  Greg has also booked for us to go to the London Coffee Festival tomorrow, being the coffee addict that he is! 

My little monkey has now woken up, all confused so I better go and give her a cuddle (she fell asleep in the car on the way back from Sainsburys after we had been to soft play but is still asking me where her friend Alice is... who we went to soft play with! Bless her!) 

I also need to sort out my toe nails...  but can't get to them!  So do I get Greg to paint them, or treat myself to a pedicure??  Mm.... it is my birthday next week!

"... but it's not dark Mummy!!!"

... yes that is the phrase which has come back to bite me on my (ever increasing in size) bum isn't it?  So Spring has sprung those clocks forward and so getting Ella to bed when it is still light is a very interesting process. Never mind. She'll get used to it.

Well what a fun packed weekend we had! It had it's ups and downs and that is for sure. Firstly my sister in law's car broke down before the Boundy's had even left (she was picking it up from the garage at the time after having the bumper repaired!) and then at 1pm I had a message from the Cottage hire company to say our cottage was flooded and they had to find us some more accomodation... 

To cut a long story short - they did - and it was pretty horrible.  We had treated ourselves to somewhere special, it wasn't cheap.  Where as where we ended up was not something special and should have been cheap!  But the good ol' PM in me got straight on the phone (payphone  - no signal) on Saturday morning and with a long process of them calling me back (it is not fun waiting for a call back in a phone box) I managed to get them to agree a 50% refund!  Wooo hooo.. 

Saturday ended up a lovely, lovely day.  We took Ella and her 2 cousins to the beach and they just all ran into the sea up to their bums.  They had a lovely time.  We then spent the rest of the day in Salcombe.  Which really is one of the most stunning places on earth.

Family friends, Richard and Judy (... not the ones of the telly) came around for desert and cheese and biscuits in the evening, I have known them forever and so it was lovely to see them! 


We rounded off the weekend with a quick visit one of my best buddies in Taunton and then had supper in Heston's Little Chef at Popham which was actually really yummy...   

Really looking forward to the weekend already... simply because we don't really have much planned and, of course, it is Mothers Day on Sunday which is always great.  Maybe some dinner / lunch out is in order as Greg has just come home with our new Taste of London card today BUT it is now simply called the Taste card. I would really recommend it.  Especially as they seem to be doing some great offer at the moment.

Ok off to cook dinner.  This is a rare, rare thing in this house so I have to try and give it some attention... even if it is just putting pie in the oven! 

"Let the Sunshine In..."

WOW... the weather has cheered me right up this week and generally it's been a good week.


Now I know it is only Thursday but I am off to Devon tomorrow (staying here) for the weekend so my weekend started at 2pm today when I collect Ella from Nursery and we went to the park and had ice-cream (McFlurry... Cadbury's Cream Egg one at that. I am a sinner it is true.)

  So I actually headed into the West End two nights on the trot... I know... but the first one was the seminar I mentioned in my opening Blogg on Tuesday. Do I now know how to transfer my skills?? - Course not - but it was all good to keep the ol' mind ticking options over and I met some lovely telly people (we are lovely us telly people - mostly).


Then last night I was out with my girls (you know who you are). There were 6 of us out, 4 of which were counting Weight Watcher points. Not me.... obviously, and not my mate Ruth who, quite frankly, needs all the calories she can get at the moment as she is the proud Mummy of a 5 week old Dexter. 


But, good on you girls, and come the summer when I am sat with my baby weight and jelly belly they will certainly get the last laugh.


So tomorrow I will be in the car most of the day heading off to Sunny (gosh I am optimistic tonight) Devon. With over 10 Peppa Pig episodes and Toy Story loaded into the PSP for Ella  I am hoping we won't hear a peep (there is that optimism again). 


It is going to be a strange weekend (will tell all after the event) but it will be lovely to be with my Boundy family. Love you all!