Sunday 6 July 2014

39 Weeks and Maternity Leave Fun




How far along:  Thirty-nine Weeks!
Weight Gain:  pounds!
Maternity Clothes:   I miss my normal clothes.
Stretch Marks:  I knew my luck would run out eventually.  My sides have little purple lines creeping up them.  I'm gutted.  Despite all of my efforts with the Weleda oil, the stretch marks have finally won.  Everyone always says they appear right at the end - you think you've gotten away with it but you are very wrong.
Belly Button: Out...my belly looks like one big, giant breast.
Queasy or Sick:   Feeling pretty good!  I worked a bit too hard Friday, causing me to be really sore and achey for the rest of the evening and all day Saturday.  
Sleep:  There is a serious design flaw here....
Best Moment of the Week:   Around midweek I started to get into the swing of Maternity Leave.  B was off work so we had a lunch date at the Castle Rising Tea Rooms followed by some jaunts in and around school.
Worst Moment of the Week:  Monday - Day one of Maternity Leave as I didn't know what to do with myself! Plus FRIDAY - the 4th of July!  I hate being away for one of my favourite holidays.  I miss the fireworks and BBQs and Bocce tournaments!
Miss Anything:  I've been dying for blue cheese gnocchi bake.  B used to make this for me back during our dating days and I have a real hankering for this dish.  Can you picture it with a nice glass of white wine?? Mmmmm....
Cravings:   Twizzlers.  It seems every time I phone my parents or my brother, someone is eating Twizzler pull and peels.  I LOVE them.  I miss them.  I can't get them.  Therefore - I want them.
Looking forward to: Baby time.  Come on, baby....Mama is getting uncomfortable and you are quite heavy.



I'm one of those very fortunate people who gets a great deal of time off for my maternity leave.  I stopped work two weeks before my due date and it's been - interesting.   As I feel pretty good - energised and generally in good spirits - I felt so incredibly guilty for not being at work.  I try to not miss work - predominantly because I feel like it's more effort to NOT be there.  

But  this is guilt free - you genuinely aren't meant to be working - time off.  
Funny.



While at lunch, I actually felt like I was skiving!

I spent most of the time twiddling my thumbs, waiting for baby to arrive or something drastic to happen in order to break how mundane the days have been.  That's teacher guilt for you.



So far, my maternity leave has looked a little like this:

Laundry
Sweep the kitchen floor
Scrub kitchen surfaces/sink
Empty the Dishwasher
Midwife appointment - all looking good with Baby!
A jolly into town to buy Raspberry Leaf capsules and agave
Write all birthday cards for July and August
Coffee at home with Georgie and Samuel  (limited work chat - more mum talk)
Laundry
Sweep the kitchen floor
Trip to Boots for makeup wipes and hair ties.....and some nappies and wipes (sale!)
Stroll around Mothercare....just in case waters wanted a good place to break
Watch ChoccywoccyDooDah - I am addicted!
Blogging in the sunshine
Research baby clothes (I love this and this)
Check work emails....just to see what's going on
Sweep kitchen floor
Chase a butterfly around the lounge, urging it towards one of the many open windows
Laundry (WHY DOES IT NEVER END?)
Glare out the window at workers drilling the sidewalk
Bake and decorate a cake (see below)
Buy a fan
Sweep the kitchen floor


Now - for that cake....
Our friend's Heidi and Toby had a joint 40th (or rather 80s/th) Birthday Party on Saturday.  Heidi asked me to make the cake and being bored on Maternity Leave, I was up for some excitement.  

I had a few ideas, but in the end I abandoned everything and just did what I thought was best.  I've never made a cake for 60 people, so I was a bit horrified by the amount of sugar, chocolate and butter I went through.

Heidi and B got involved in the icing and decorating process!




All in all, I'm happy with the finished product.  I had a horrible time with this cake as 
1) I hate square cakes
and 
2) It was TOO HOT to do much of anything with icing or fondant.  My hands were boiling, the house was boiling, things were melting....it just wasn't a good experience.



But it went down a TREAT, so that to me is mission accomplished!!
Xx

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