Bump

In my last post I wrote about being perplexed that, a week or two ago, three separate people claimed to be surprised (I actually think they were) that I was pregnant.

I really think I look pregnant.

They say the second time your bump is bigger and I fit into that category. For sure. I'm only 22 weeks but it feels a bit like 32 (well, not that bad, but bigger regardless).

Thinking about it, I figured I needed to post a picture to explain, so you can see why I was so stunned that folk didn't notice the tummy.

Or - worse - what the hell did they think I've been eating?!!!

Check it out (sorry, dodgy pic snapped before racing out the door to work this morning):

So

Here I am at 22 weeks pregnant. In one way it feels as though I have been pregnant forever. In others, like it's flashed by (though mostly it feels a long while).

I am feeling good, but there are so many things I'd forgotten about being pregnant that I truly worry about just how much I have forgotten about looking after a baby (like, all of it).

I'd forgotten that I can fall sleep at the drop of a hat. Give me 10 quiet minutes (ha!) and I can sleep for 5 of them. But the converse side of that is, whoa, the uncomfortableness of having to sleep on your side all the time! I really like sleeping on my back.

I'd also forgotten how, at 5 months pregnant, you're still in that 'is she or isn't she?' stage. To me this is bizarre. I clearly look pregnant. But I was at a get-together about a week ago and mentioned something about being pregnant to three separate people, who all professed to not have noticed anything different about me.

You what??? To me, this bump is massive already.

Anyway... the quest to eat a little less continues, and I think I am doing OK. I am trying to be more considered in my snacking and not always instantly go for the carbs. (However, sometimes the carbs call me and I answer their call.)

Speaking of which, off to make pasta for dinner now...

Anyone's place Packed To The Rafters??

Sometimes for work I write these big sociological/people-type features. I do adore these stories, because you can really sink your teeth into them. But they can be tricky.

The one I am about to embark on tomorrow falls into that category. In fact, it has been keeping me awake in the middle of the night for a few weeks already!

I am doing a piece that requires me to find a couple of case studies of people who are living with three generations under one roof (granny flat counts!), a la the Packed To The Rafters TV show. I'm just interested in speaking to them about the dynamics of how they live, etc, etc.

Anyhow, if anyone can think of an Australian family living in this manner, let me know. Please! My email is spickette@acpmagazines.com.au and all suggestions are very welcome.

Party animal - yeah, no!

I went out last night. To a hen's night, for a very close friend who's getting married in 3 weeks. We started off with drinks upstairs at a swanky pub called Bungalow8. It was full of eastern suburbs princesses in expensive dresses and expensive shoes. Excellent people watching.

We were actually having a lovely time until "management" came over and asked my friend not to wear the veil (a tasteful white and silver sparkly one!) I'd bought for her. Apparently this establishment has a "no veils on Fridays and Saturday nights" policy.

Pah! The place was full of post-races women in dodgy fascinators and, hello, what if you're Muslim? Are you allowed to wear a veil?!! Bit silly, since we weren't being loud or obnoxius in any way, my mate just had a hen's veil on. Little do they know they picked on a group full of journos and editors - see next week's Sunday papers...!

After that we went to a "club" called Retro, that has three (or four?) floors of, yes, retro music. We'd planned on hitting the 80s level (natch) but it was full, so we headed to 90s.

I had a really nice night but can I say ... stone-cold sobre and sporting a 5-month baby bump it is a bloody weird experience to be out in such a joint dancing!!

Bizarre!

How a day can change

This morning I was fed up and gloomy. And this was not good, because today E is at preschool, our work has an enforced Easter 'shutdown' (forcing everyone to use their leave, which means I am home) and the sun was shining. This combination should make for much happiness.

But I was teary. I do understand that it was probably 90 per cent hormones, being 5 months pregnant and all. Mostly I was upset at the thought of how much weight I have put on this pregnancy: 10kg in 20 weeks. I had stupidly Googled 'weight gain pregnancy 20 weeks' and the computer told me 1-3kg was a normal weight gain for 20 weeks.

Gulp. That puts me waaaaaaay over.

This was pretty devastating. Mainly because it was morning tea time and I was starving but I worried that obviously I'd been overeating, so I'd have to go hungry.

I was also blue about spending a beautiful sunny morning stuck inside culling a toddler's toys (it had reached crisis levels - overflowing - and when else can I do it except when he's not here?). Sniff.

When I was taking the broken toys (how did we accumulate so many?) out to the bin I picked up the mail. I have been thinking about winning lately. I just had this good feeling I was in for a win. And there, in today's mail, was a letter from the Lotto office (I recognise their envelopes).

So I did a little visualisation. 'It's not $10,' I thought, 'This prize has three digits! Or four!'.

Opened it up...

$1936.75.

YEAH!!!!!

This couldn't have come at a better time, since the week in NZ plus a week's work shutdown means I have forgone two weeks of income (I am a casual employee). I took myself off to the local cafe in celebration. After my tuna sandwich I wandered along the street, looking for something I could have a little splurge on.

What did I come home with?

Two persimmons.

Why? Who knows ... possibly simply because I am pregnant!

More pics

I wish I knew how to get a caption on Blogger - can't see how, possibly something to do with our home computer being on Linux. Anyhow, here are a couple more pictures from our NZ trip. The orange stroller is a newbie (cheapie) we bought over there when our little travel stroller broke on the first day over there. We call it our 'road safety stroller' for obvious reasons!...

Had a 20-week check-up for the baby yesterday and everything seems good. Blood pressure nice, heartbeat fine, etc, etc.

And a revelation ... my 3.5yo is playing on his own. And has been for at least 10 mins (am too afraid to look at him in case I get drawn into his game). Praise be...

Holiday heaven

We're back from New Zealand, after eight fantastic days of holidaying. It was such a brilliant trip. Everything was easy and, of course, gorgeous. I've been to NZ twice before, but both those trips were press famils, which mean you're pretty busy and scheduled. The difference to a family holiday, particularly an unscheduled one like we had (just hired a car and took it from there) is huge. I'd forgotten how gobsmackingly beautiful the South Island is.

Part of what made it so easy was that my parents came along too. They hired their own car and we stayed in the same places (splitting the accommodation made it pretty affordable - plus the Aussie dollar was nicely in our favour) and met up here and there when we wanted to see the same things and do the same walks. It meant Shaun and I could actually do some walks without Mr 3yo 'I Want To Go Home' crying all the way.

In fact, E was very well behaved ... on the whole. He discovered a true passion for throwing rocks in rivers - which is most excellent since NZ has an abundance of both. He also found his feet - he did a fair bit of hiking with Shaun. I did some too, but I would stop at any steep, stepped or slippery tips. Five months pregnant and mountain/glacier climbing do not a good combo make!

Here are a couple of pics from the trip: