9 Canvases for Miss Muffin

Week 21 – 9 Canvases for Miss Muffin

Fruit to Fetus Comparison: Large Mango. Weighs about 400-450gms We’re running out of fruuuuit!

Found this cool website that shows you the fruit your baby is closest to!

Fruit to Fetus

 

Cravings: Failing at eating healthily. Sure, I might eat a few oranges and some vegetables and meat, but I’ve also eaten nearly a litre of cookies and cream icecream in a couple of days... Have put on 5kgs so far and am only half way through!! (OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD!)
Aversions: Freaking nothing. Why can’t I have aversions to dairy products and sugar?
Husbands’ excitement metre: Chillin. Justin more or less. See emotional scale below.
Mini-Muffin Kick-Counter: Many kicks, especially after icecream consumption and drinking cold juice.

So, this week has been busy. Actually, the last two weeks have been hectic, so I didn’t really post a lot last week. I did write a letter, with some small contributions by Justin. I’ve been noticing a lot of fluctuations in my mood since becoming pregnant – especially random snappiness (yes, I admit, I’ve been less charming lately), whining and complaining, nagging, but also some super-highs and bouts of laughing when Miss Muffin kicks me in the guts. I have drawn a comparison scale of Justin’s emotions, compared to mine. Please see the legend below to figure out who is who... in case you couldn’t tell. Also, the numbers on the scale depict the reason for the fluctuating emotion.

 

Rhonie Versus Justin Emotional Scale

Legend:

Pink - Rhona

Blue - Justin

1. Woke up super happy (though tired) because ... well, just because.

2. Realised it was Monday.

3. Realised I had a cupcake to take to school.

4. Got cranky for no reason. Then got a supervision in a spare and got crankier.

5. Taught Grade 9’s and 8’s. Some students were douches. Most were nice but were cancelled out by the kid trying to cut his shoe up with a lino tool.

6. Could no longer do up art apron at the front like the cool kids. Had to move bow to the back. Felt like a whale.

7.  Potatoes and Gravy from tuckshop

8. Chocolates in staffroom.

9. Supervision class was lovely. We watch a youtube video on fainting goats which makes my day. Watch video here à Fainting Goats

10. Had a fresh orange. Was really good.Like, REALLY good.

11. Orange juice went everywhere causing stickiness and discomfort. This causes grumpiness. Wonder if I have depression. Call self stupid for thinking I have depression over an orange. Mentally slap self in face.

12. Cheerleading practice!

13. Internet was down for a few minutes.

As you can see, Justin rides a rollercoaster of emotion on a daily basis, while mine revolves around food. 

Anyway, despite bouts of crying over adorable emails (still happening) most things have been running smoothly.

For the past few weeks I’ve been working on a project for Mini Muffin, even before we knew she was a girl! I started painting some canvases for her room. They are rainbow (of course) and a little psychedelic, and unfinished, but I thought I’d post them this week.

We went with the theme of animals, because it was unisex and fun J And so, I painted some jungle/circus/unidentified animals to hang on our child’s wall!

This is Leo. He is a lion. He likes the colour red. He is a secret hoarder. I need to finish his eyes.

Nelly is a bit smelly, but you can forgive her because love-hearts come out of her trunk. Also need to finish eyes.

 

These Turtles are inseparable – Fergus, Frannie and Phil like to play leapfrog, and fail.

Horace the Rhino is only half done. He enjoys long walks on the beach. I think he needs some spots.

Ezra is a reindeer/antelope hybrid. Nobody knows how that happened. Also, his horns are on fire. He needs eyes and to be finished as does his background. Also, he is on a background of teal, not gross dark green. My lighting is horrible in here.

Zelda the Zebra is rather posh. Her yellow stripes make her feel she is above the other Zebras. She doesn’t realise they all call her a cow behind her back. Maybe if Zelda focused on her career rather than her looks people would respect her more.

Alvin and Marvin are Monkeys. They like to eat bananas. They are stereotypical, but call you racist if you say so. Obviously there is a lot of mystery behind these two – what colour will they be? Well. We’ll find out on the weekend when I finish them.

Kayla the Giraffe is overly friendly, and sometimes hugs strangers. People regard Kayla with suspicion because of her height. She resents them for this. Kayla needs eyes and proper background flora.

Finally, Satine. Satine is an orange hippo, which isn’t easy for her in the wild, as camouflage is nearly impossible. Satine still needs facial features, as do the rest of the animals, but is by far the most patchy.

So hope you enjoyed the animals – will post when they’re done J Have a couple of projects to complete before Miss Muffin makes her arrival into the world! Will share as they arrive!

Lots of Love

Rhonie

Dear Mini-Muffin - Week 20

Darling Mini-Muffin

You are now 21 weeks old, and around about 350grams. You are around about the length of a very large banana!

You are a GIRL (according to the lovely radiologist!) which has allowed Mummy and Daddy to halve their naming choices! 

Dad was sure you were a girl all along, and now he gloats... a lot.

We are all quite impressed with your glamour shots, though you got a bit shy when the ultrasound tried to take your picture and covered your face with your hands! 

Our favourite names for you right now are:

Isla,  Aria and Cleo

but there are many, many others!

You have started to move a lot in Mummy’s tummy, and like to let her know you’re there when you’re not getting enough attention! Just little flutters right now, because you are still quite small!

 

Mummy thinks maybe you will be a gymnast. Daddy can’t feel you yet, and he thinks you’re making Mummy more crazy than usual.

Mummy is now too big for her jeans by a long shot, and is opting for stretchy fabrics.

Zy-Zy and Docky have decided to move to Biloela to be close to you! Mummy and Daddy want to build a house and have lots of meetings to sort it out.

Everyone is super busy right now with work, but we take a lot of time to think about you. 

We already love you so much. In only 19 weeks you will be born and we’ll get to meet you! 

Counting down the days,

Love

Mummy and Daddy xxx

The Life-Changing Question: Ballet or Football?

The Life-Changing Question: Ballet or Football?

Week of Pregnancy: 19
Fruit to Fetus Comparison: Mango or larger! We’re running out of fruuuuit!
Cravings: Kinda over them and trying not to eat crappy food. Failing on some days as I am too tired to cook something decent. Or lazy.
Aversions: Pork and pork products (weird, I haven’t really had much pork since becoming pregnant – and the taste has COMPLETELY changed!! It used to be my favourite roast meat!)
Husbands’ excitement metre: Trying to keep it in, but smug in his ability to predict our child’s sex.
Mini-Muffin Kick-Counter: Up to around about 10/20 felt flutters a day! Have decided it feels like your hands cupping a flailing goldfish, and popcorn – rolled into one.

In regards to the title... I’m hoping both for either gender, to be honest! Let’s not live up to those sexist stereotypes!

So, this week was the week! THE ULTRASOUND WEEK! Not only would we find out if our baby was healthy, but also what ‘favour’ of baby we were having! (These were exact words of one of my students in grade 12 – I jokingly responded ‘hopefully not chocolate, or I’m in trouble...  my husband is vanilla.”)

 Boy or Girl?! Did it really matter that much – not really! We were super excited to find out either way so I could so some serious shopping and start making gender-specific clothing for the first few months of our child’s life. You know, for before the stage where they get to a discernible sex and everyone says “what a cute little... boy? Girl? Monkey?” That could be awkward, I wish to avoid that if possible. If our child wants to dress like the opposite sex when they’re older, that’s up to them, but for now, I’m going to dress them in as much pink/blue as necessary.

So, day of the scan. 

Me = freaking out trying to find morphology scan referral, doctors notes, etc from our last visit. Cried a little when students were quite mean to me. Had a mini-break down. Freaked out that we would be late. Worried we wouldn’t find the hospital. Stressed about a multitude of things that could be wrong with mini-muffin. Excited and scared that we would/wouldn’t find out the gender. Excited for shopping.

Justin = played video games for a while. Chilled out a bit. Tells me not to freak out. Baby will be fine, and he believes there is no doubt it will be a girl. Promises me Sizzler for dinner after the scan to cheer me up.

Ah, Justin. He knows the promise of food will make me feel better. Sometimes I wonder how I'm not two-hundred kilos.

Skip forward to a two hour tedious drive in which every bump seemed like a roller coaster, as I am attempting to drink a litre and a half of water in the space of an hour and a half. Hard to do, surprisingly, especially while in the car and going up the ‘range’ of Mount Morgan.

When we reach the hospital, we park at the complete wrong end, and are currently running 5 minutes late. We race through the hospital and find CQMI (imaging/ultrasound/x-ray) and, slightly exhausted, are told by a nice lady to wait for our turn and to fill out some forms. We wait in the waiting room for what seems like forever (really only 20 minutes) before another nice young lady invites us through.

I swear, 90% of all ultrasound technicians are tall, blonde and have model-legs, which makes me feel like a heifer with a fat tummy and a butt the size of Tasmania. I forgive her because she has warm ultrasound gel, rather than the freezing stuff that most ultrasound facilities have.

After a moment of holding our breath, the wait is worth it! After a few seconds we see...

 Mini-Muffin! 

The baby is a lot more squished this time around, as I’m holding a litre of water right next to its house, and it’s grown a lot! I mean, A LOT! Legs are proportionate, body has caught up (mostly) to the size of the ginormous head, little arms are waving madly!

We are patient as we let the technician do her work – measuring the head, brain, spine, liver, kidneys, stomach, and anything else she can find! She tells us that Mini-Muffin is indeed healthy, and perfectly average in every way, shape and form! Here's a 3D image of Mini-Muffin with hands in front of face:

Current measurements

Approx weight – 280gms
Approx height – 20cms (including legs)
Heart beat – 137 beats per minute 

Right Hand with the correct amount of fingers!! --> 

All normal, all functioning, all fabulous! Our little Mini-Muffin is perfect!!

And then our patience pays off...

Ultrasound Technician: “Are you ready to know the gender?”
Me: “OMIGODYES!!!” (Almost wee with excitement and the fact that I’m still holding on to 1.5 litres of water)

She moves so that we get a good view of our baby’s privates...

 

“It’s a girl!”

Me: *SQUEEEEALLLLLL!*

She then proceeds to point out all the reasons why Mini-Muffin is a girl – but I am too ecstatic and over the moon and don’t hear a lot of it because of the current visions of tutus and pink. And soccer and boxing, if she so wishes. 

Justin smirks smugly. Yes, he was right all along. He has not once deviated from his belief that Mini-Muffin was a girl – and I have to admit it! I utter the dreaded words... “You were right.” And I get the notion that I will never live that down and it may be brought out as ammo in arguments for the rest of our lives.

It’s so strange how gender gives you a better idea of what your baby could be like. Immediately, I feel so much more bonded to my daughter growing inside my tummy simply because I know a bit more about her – the simple fact that she has ovaries instead of testes. Boy or Girl, I think I would have felt this way. Suddenly I feel like I know my child, not their favourite colour, whether they like broccoli, what their hopes and dreams are for the future, but that she is healthy, and she is a girl. Two things, really! I am then allowed to empty my bladder, which is about the best feeling in the world. 

The small fact that our baby is a girl almost allows me to ignore the next piece of news;

The placenta is awfully low, and very close to the cervix. Not great news, in the long run, if it chooses not to ‘move’. Basically, if the placenta covers/is too close to the cervix, that makes it hard to give birth naturally. All my thoughts and dreams of a natural, no-drugs water birth go flying out the window as I’m told I may have to get a C-Section, but not to panic, as there are still many weeks for it to move, and we will check it out at the next ultrasound.

I take the news surprisingly well for someone who’s never had to be cut open before. I still have my appendix and tonsils, and all I’m missing are my adenoids (which, really, isn’t much of a surgery). So I grin and bear it.

 If (I say that very strongly!! IF) a C-Section is the best thing for Mini-Muffin and me, well, that’s what we will do. I’ve heard it’s the ‘easiest’ birth, but hardest recovery. But, of course, who wants to be cut open. Really? 

If, on the other hand, the placenta decides to move, Justin and I may have some more arguments about me wanting to be a screaming ball of mess when our child enters the world.  (He’s all for drugs, I’m sort of ‘meh’ about the whole anaesthesia idea and would rather experience the whole thing... but still reserve my right to have an epidural!). Whichever is the safest and best choice (which we will weigh up when the time comes) we will do. No point in arguing with the doctors who know what they’re doing!

So, finally, we go to celebrate at Big W, and I buy five pink/purple sets of clothes for newborns to baby size 0. (Including the most adorable frilly dress and a pair of purple stretchy jean shorts) while Justin rolls his eyes. THEN off to the real celebrations at SIZZLER! We eat, we chat, we laugh, and then we drive (with very full bellies) home! I grin the majority of the way home, thinking of the wonderful, special, active, and amazing little girl I am growing my tummy, and how we will be parents in a matter of 19 – 21 weeks.

It truly is life-changing... and scares the pants off me...

Love

Rhonie

No Touchy! Inappropriate belly touching and discussions of bodily secretions with people I don’t know.

No Touchy! Inappropriate belly touching and discussions of bodily secretions with people I don’t know.

Week of Pregnancy: 18

Fruit to Fetus Comparison: Mango! Around 230 grams and growing fast!

Cravings: Still none. Happy to eat half a litre of mango sorbet though (woops)

Aversions: Not a lot. Does housework count?

Husband’s excitement metre: Growing, as potential movements make their debut. Also, he is sick, so this probably kills most of the excitement.

So, this week the cramps have cleared up, still some stretchy feelings happening, but nothing abnormal! Yay! Have worked the whole week, and despite some exhaustion and twingy feelings in the tummy after cheerleading, nothing to call home about!

This week EVERYONE returned home from abandoning me! My brother came to look after me over the weekend (he is super), Justin came back from the snow (dislocated thumb, sore butt and a cold), and my parents came home from Scotland. Exciting or what? Now I can revert to my normal, needy self. 

Another thing that’s happened this week – I’ve popped. Suddenly, I am feeling enormous, none of my pants fit, and I look pregnant. Like, super pregnant. I know I’m only half way through, but I feel enormous! Everything else is the same size, except for the tummy and the boobs. So, of course, it’s a very good excuse to go shopping and show off my amazing new body in slightly larger clothing (More to love). 

So, a dress and a top later, Stacy, Lynesha and I have checked out all the baby clothes in Target Country, and they have promised to help organise my baby shower in November. OHMYGOSH baby clothes are so cute and adorable and seriously tiny! The 0000 clothes are about the smallest things I’ve ever seen in my life!!!! Also so many adorable girl clothes!! Also boy clothes – tiny jackets and shoes! Of course, I am desperate to dress up a daughter in frilly pink jackets and adorable skirts, but would love to dress a little dude up in jeans and mini sneakers! Okay, I know they’re not dolls, but I think I’m allowed a moment of severe girliness.

Back to the topic – larger stomach.

This week have had comments from kids such as:

“OMG Miss! You’re showing! That’s so cute!” – Thanks Year Ten Girl, though I am proud of my baby belly, a girl never wants to hear she’s bigger!

“Miss! Can I touch your belly?!” – No, Year Twelve Girl, you may not. It’s seriously creepy, and, let’s be honest, how much creepier would it be if I wasn’t pregnant?!

“Is it a girl or a boy?” –  Much tougher question.

This is where we enter the debate of how I’m ‘carrying’ the baby (hardly obvious – as I’m only 18 weeks not 30 weeks!) and am told that if I’m carrying high, it’s a boy, if it’s low, it’s a girl. What have I been craving? Sugary foods? Must be a girl, they’re sweet! What about savoury? It’s a boy – they like savoury. What month did I get pregnant in? That has a large say on what the sex of the baby will be, you know. If it’s an odd number month, it’s a boy, where as if it’s an even number month, it’s a girl. Though sometimes prime numbers can be difficult to tell! Finally – the ring trick. Tie a piece of hair onto your wedding ring, hold it over your belly, and if it swings side to side, it’s a girl, if it swings in circles, it’s a boy.

I try hard not to laugh at these wives tales, as some of the people suggesting them really believe they are true. But really, can you tell what sex a baby is from what you are craving? Can you find out by looking at the bump? I have my doubts, but perhaps those more educated than me can tell!

Another thing now that I’m showing – people are totally fine and open with discussing:

A)    How pregnancy happens. Ie; The fact that my husband and I had sex. (But I thought babies were brought by the stork?!)

B)    The things that happen to bodies when you have a baby inside them (Digestion, bodily secretions, birthing etc)

C)     War stories/what is going to happen to you and what happened to them. (Episiotomies, C-sections, twenty-million hour labours)

I don’t mind, it’s just that these things are usually taboo! I'm good with most conversations about weird fetishes, itches and problems of others, but when people are talking about my cervix like it’s on the front page of the newspaper, it kind of freaks me out a bit. The bodily secretions that are expected of pregnant women, bladder control, stretch marks, ‘how’s the sex’ questions, are you planning on having a natural birth or drug up (differing opinions from EVERYONE), will you breast feed or go bottle (again, everyone has an opinion) and, of course, everyone’s opinion is vital.

I don’t mind, in fact, I enjoy the discussions most of the time, but it’s just such a huge difference to not being pregnant. Nobody wants to hear about a non-pregnant girl’s cervix. Now that’s just wrong. But now there’s a baby in there, let’s talk. Well, time to suck it up and enjoy the differing opinions, advice and merry times ahead!

Ultrasound week next week!!! 

Peace

Rhonie

Worries, Stretching, being ALONE!

Worries, Stretching, being ALONE!

Week of Pregnancy: 16 & 17

Food to Fetus Comparison: Sweet Potato/ Around 6 inches and 100 grams.

Cravings: Not a lot. Eating because of boredom and stress, as per pre-pregnancy.

Aversions: Nothing. Like, not even the stuff I’m allergic to... this can’t be good?!

Husband’s excitement metre: Don’t know – he’s abandoned me for the snow...

So I’m tired. Yeah, the energy burst didn’t last forever. Perhaps overdid it during the week of energy. I’m pretty sure I used it all up.

This week (16) we’re back at school, so haven’t had a lot of time to think about what was going on. I’ve been desperately trying to feel movement, but pretty sure I mistake digestion for baby kicking, which I am humble enough to admit. Would really appreciate some movement because, although I’m getting bigger, there are very few actual signs that I am pregnant. Except for scary ones, which is typical, now that I am on my own for 8 days and live in a tiny town an hour and a half from a decent hospital or ultrasound. Awesome. So here’s what’s been going on:

1.      Cramps. Yeah. Not exactly a ‘good’ sign but I’ve been told they are probably round-ligament pains as my uterus is currently the size of a rockmelon (a lot larger than usual, for those who don’t subscribe to ‘Your Uterus and U!’) Was not too worried about these, as google is generally a good judge of medical issues and told me not to worry... UNLESS...

2.      Spotting (light or intermittent bleeding) occurs. Yep. Thanks Google, as soon as I read this, guess what happened. The good news is (probably TMI for most of you) it was definitely old blood, not new, so perhaps a cervix tear as everything expands... and probably from a few days/week ago.

Needless to say, as soon as this happened, I freaked out. Justin is 300000000 km away at Perisher, my Mum and Dad are in Scotland, and my Brother (bless him) never answers his freaking phone, and is still 6 hours away with uni to do. Also, I seem to be having another hormonal surge and cry a lot... for several hours. 

Also I dream about Zombies and have to sleep with the light on.

Fab.

So I call the midwife the next day, during my spare at school. Receptionist promises she will get back to me. Unfortunately we play a bit of phone-tag as I teach three classes and she has patients to see, but finally I call back again, from my car, in my five minutes of spare time before final class on Wednesday.

Me: “Hi Irene, It’s Rhona Bechaz here, I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions about my pregnancy.”

Irene: Fire away, that’s why I’m here!

Me: (Tells tale of cramping and spotting expecting a brush off of ‘don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal’)

Irene: Ah. Okay, you need to go home and lie down.

Me: Uh, what?

Irene: Yes, that’s not a great sign – hopefully it will clear up on it’s own but you should really lie down for a couple of days and not do anything.

Me: But... I have athletics carnival tomorrow... I’m integral to the novelty egg-and-spoon event!

Irene: No.

Me: really?

Irene: Go home and stay there for at least two days. In bed. No cleaning, no shopping, no standing.

Me: Holy mother of god what is wrong with me?!?!?!

I then proceed to cry a lot after hanging up. Not great, as I still have to teach a class of grade 8’s in 5 minutes time. I walk into staffroom and cry to Athletics Carnival organisers, who are very understanding. I find out I am not as integral as I thought, and they are able to cover for me. I still feel bad, and kind of in shock, as I rarely take a day off except for when I’m feeling really sick. A couple of cramps and a single spot of blood don’t really rate on my sick metre, but I’m not taking any chances. 

Deputy Principal is also very understanding, but that could be because I look like a panda and am still crying a waterfall. (Hormones and because I’m a bit scared at this point) I attempt to clean my face and teach 70 minutes of grade 8 art, before picking up my stuff and driving home. I sit in bed, cry more, and cuddle my dogs (on the bed... naughty!).

So, all in all, not a fabulous way to end week 16 into 17... but I am guessing my body is telling me to slow down and stop being so busy and stressed. Understandable. 

No cramps today and no spotting since that first time, so I think it was just a warning to slow down and take time doing nothing, which I will attempt to do. It’s really hard, though.

So, wish us luck – Mini-Muffin and Me – until Justin returns to wait on me hand and foot ;).

Love xxx

Dear Mini-Muffin - Week 17

Our Dear Mini-Muffin,

You are Seventeen Weeks and 3 days old today!  

You have grown almost to the size of a small Sweet Potato or a Turnip, according to the blogs your Mummy has been reading.  

You Weigh around 100 grams, and are around six inches long from head to bottom!

We haven’t felt you move yet for definite, but there have been a few flutters in your Mummy’s tummy.  

We saw you jumping up and down like a jumping bean on the sonogram a few weeks ago!  

Mummy is getting bigger and bigger each day. 

 Daddy thinks you might be a girl, while Mummy thinks you might be a boy! 

Our favourite names for you are Max, Sebastian, Tristan, Anastasia, Isla and Eve. 

We had a little scare the other day when Mummy got a sore tummy, but she rested a lot and now it seems everything is dandy! 

 Mummy sings to you and hopes you can hear her. She sings very loudly, so that is quite probable. 

Daddy is at the snow falling off his snowboard a lot and having lots of fun, but rings up to check on you and Mummy each day. 

This is what he might look like snowboarding:

Or it might be this... We will have to see how many bruises he has when he comes home...

We love you very, very much already and can’t wait to see how you’ve grown in our next Sonogram!

Lots of love, 

Mummy and Daddy

The Commencement of Human-to-Whale Metamorphosis and the Effect it has on My Fragile Psyche

The commencement of human-to-whale metamorphosis and the Effect it has on my fragile psyche...

Week of Pregnancy: 15

Fruit to Fetus Comparison: Large Lemon -  between 50 – 70 grams. Also, his/her legs are no longer tooth-picky! Yay!

Cravings: Fricking junk food. God dammit I am trying so hard to be healthyyyyyy!

Aversions: Squishy fruit and eggs... okay not really ‘aversions’, I just don’t want to eat them. Also, taking my pre-natal vitamin, fish-oil tablet and inner-health plus thingy make me gag.

Husband’s excitement metre: Back to the telling me to shut up about baby names. Jealous that I am on holidays (for another few days) and can take naps every afternoon. YEAH NANA NAPS!

Okay – so the beginning of my human-to-whale metamorphosis is starting. There is a bump. A BUMP! And not just a fat bump (though that’s there too, on top of the baby-bump)!  THERE’S A BABY IN THERE! I can no longer fit in my jeans. Stockings hurt and make it hard to breathe as they crush everything together while trying to make me skinnier. My shirts all make me look podgy, and, to be honest, I kind of am. I still haven't gained much weight (a total of 1.5kgs in 15 weeks!), but I assume I'll be gaining a lot more in the coming months. It's definitely baby weight - it's all in the tummy, very little (extra) on the butt/thigh region, and an immense amount of mass on my copious bust. My bras don't fit (just to make you feel uncomfortable). And very few places stock attractive looking, non-beige, larger-bust bras. Am not looking forward to breast feeding, for fear of crushing my child. (Can this happen? Is this possible?! Please clarify!)

Though sometimes I wonder if I just ate a lot of cookies (which I have been doing lately – and feeling very ashamed), mostly I am having mixed feelings of excitement (YAY! New life, baby joy and all that jazz) and terror (holy crap there’s something growing in my UTERUS! GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT!!) which is quite exhausting.

This week, my energy is back, which I have considered to be a side effect of the weight/mass gain. It is my way of saying 'I"M STILL USEFUL! Don't count me out yet! I may be pregnant but I can still contribute to society! Just because I struggle to button my jeans doesn't mean I can't think, dammit!"

Everyone keeps telling me (midwife included) don’t overdo it - this will wane after the second trimester! Listen to your body! 

Well... I’m listening and all that happens is a packet of cookies is suddenly empty and I’m considering buying a dilapitated house just to have something to 'fix' (though I'm sure the boredom will cease when school goes back on Monday). 

Is this a sign of things to come? Will I be one of ‘those’ mums that begin to write polls on what to have for dinner, or experiments with making different types of cabbage soup? If/when this happens, I give you permission to slap me.

So, yes, going a little insane from my diagnosis of ‘confinement’ – which means 'pregnancy' in olden-day terms when they locked women away to hide their 'condition' from society –but I feel that has mostly to do with the fact that it is holidays. I am no longer allowed to drink away my boredom with friends, but instead must be said designated driver for friends/husband. Which is no problem, really, except I get bored really easily and alcohol has a way of making you forget you’re bored a lot of the time.  I miss Moscato. So, instead, I got busy. I have so far

• made two tutus
• read The Hunger Games series
•  written a new song
• gone for too many hot-chocolates at the local coffee shop
•  planted eight new plants into pots on my front veranda
•  re-arranged and cleaned the house, made a batch of scones and several home-cooked meals from scratch (which are a rarity during term time) And;
•  watched too many cancelled TV shows (How is Jersey Shore still going into season 5, and Firefly was cancelled?!? Oh the humanity!)
•  all while knitting too many scarves.

In between, in moments where I planned my next energetic project, I have been trolling internet sites for interesting things to keep me entertained;

• www.slaymyboredom.com is good (but can be rude)
• www.pinterest.com is another with so many cool ideas and pictures
• and the ever-favourite... www.facebook.com  Ahhh facey... even you bore me these days.

·         And have been comparing my life to the People of Walmart photographs, and have felt comparatively better about my figure and dress sense. At least I don’t wear flesh-coloured bike shorts.

So, yes, now I should probably go and, oh, I don’t know, plan all my lessons for the term. Sounds like a plan...

Just so you all know, I’m sure this newfound burst of energy will go on FOREVER!! FOREVER I TELL YOU! Pregnant women are never tired!

Sincerely,

Rhona in Denial.