Miscellaneous this and that 'n junk

I forgot to give a special shout out and thanks to Kusi and Eric, who prepared the most delicious Thanksgiving feast (minus the roast beast) for us last weekend. I do realise it was a sacrifice for Eric, especially, to go turkey-less this year, but, really, how can you complain when the menu is this nice.

One week to go until our big 10th anniversary night away...to a fancy hotel 10 minutes up the road! What can I say, Dublin's a great city, why waste time travelling when we can make the most of our 24 HOURS OF FREEDOM, and I'm on call for Doula Duty as Dee reached her full-term 37 weeks today. But for crying out out, Dee, please don't have that baby next Saturday night. Please. I'm so looking forward to my and Daithi's day together: lunch at the best vegetarian restaurant in town (and better yet, for FREE, as we know the owner's husband), a movie in the afternoon, set up camp at the hotel, dinner out at a surprise venue (organised by Daithi) and then...hour upon hour of uninterrupted sleep. Now that's romance.

I am feeling well, still tired, but what's new. Work is stressful, but as the pregnancy become more real I can see myself letting go of that work stuff and concentrating on the really important things. The baby moves regularly, but that doesn't stop me from freaking out when I think I haven't felt it for a while. I attribute this paranoia to the two pregnancy losses I've suffered previously; the memory of that resides deep in me and I've yet to figure out how to release it, or if I'll ever be able to. One thing's for sure, having two healthy children has not erased it, like some think it should. Maybe more on this subject later, if I can manage it.

But more importantly, here's what 17+ weeks looks like the third time around, when any bit of muscle tone is a long faded memory...

The Old Plastic Doughnut on the Floor Trick

Yesterday evening Siofra came to me and said, "Look, I did a poop on the floor in my room!"

Now, I was skeptical, because she was very calm and cool, and aside from pooping in my shoe once when she was 3 months old, she's never done anything like this. But I decided I'd better check it out. And this is what I saw:


Right, so that DOES look a bit alarming. I went in for a closer inspection...


Relief! Yes, that is a plastic doughnut (or loaf of challah?!) from her toy food collection.

It was her first practical joke. And I'm proud.

It wasn't just gas...

Daithi has the kids out grocery shopping while I do my school planning for next week...so this'll be short:

I finally felt the baby moving yesterday, just as I was ready to call the midwives and beg them to let me come in for a quick check with the Doppler. Relief. I've felt it a few times since then, so I'm sure that it's really the baby and not weird stomach grumbles. In the baby/fruit size spectrum this little guy/gal is an avocado this week. Mmm...guacamole sounds nice right now. This pregnancy is finally beginning to seem real, and Daithi and I even had a discussion on names last night. As always, any decision we make will be top secret until the baby has arrived! (so don't ask!) But don't worry, it'll be something you'll have trouble pronouncing.

Also, check out my neato baby countdown feature at the end of this page! 169 days to go?!?! Sounds like forever...

Food for thought

Siofra: Let's pretend...we're not vegetarian. Ok?

Me: Ok. We're not vegetarian.

Siofra: Ok, then, (putting a toy zebra and horse on her teaset tray)
Would you like some animals for dinner?

Short n Sweet, just so you know that I'm alive

Right, I've been doing stupid school work now for an hour so I'm not sitting here for much longer...but just to let ya know that I'm alive and well, despite 3 out of the 4 of us having a vomiting flu last week. Luckily, Paddy escaped. I was knocked out for 3 days, thanks to that pregnancy immune system that makes sickness last longer and be worse. But we've recovered and the 6 loads of laundry we had to do in one day is only a memory now...

My recovery was rewarded on Saturday morning when I went for brunch with my good friends Dee and Kusi to this place. I can honestly say it was the first food I've enjoyed in 2 months. Morning sickness (really afternoon and evening sickness) has subsided and I made the most of it with Eggs Florentine with a side of spicy homefries. So, so delicious. It was also a treat to mark the final weeks of Dee's pregnancy, which was the purpose of the lunch. We showered her with (small) gifts and enjoyed eating without kids hanging off us.

No other news...wishing Flint the best in it's mayoral election tomorrow. Go Walling!